Sleek Paradise
by SleekBlanBoys
Summary: Sequel to Sleek Night. When memories of the past flood the future, what will happen to Joe and Nick's relationship and will they be able to handle it? Joick. Sexual Content, Language and Incest.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the sequel to Sleek Night! I'm soooo excited!! This is only part one, so I am going to need some reviews to put up the rest!! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Here (In Your Arms)" By: Hellogoodbye**

**Rated M: Incest, Sexual Content, Language.**

* * *

Sleek Paradise

**Joe's POV**

I felt the sun on my face, the warmth of the sheets making me completely content as I came into consciousness. I squinted as I opened my eyes. The sun was shining threw the white window shades, making me cringe. I buried my face into my pillow and then I realized that my arm was wrapped around his waist. A smile spread across my lips as I turned my face to look at him. But that smile soon left my lips, as the blood drained from my face. My arm was draped over a white pillow that had a note folded over top of it. I pushed myself into a sitting position and hesitantly grabbed the note from the pillow. My heart skipped a beat as I read the first line,

**My Dearest Joseph,**

**I apologize for leaving you like this. I felt that it was all I could do. I didn't tell you I was leaving because I knew you would never let me go. Tommy and I are staying at friend of mine's in Arizona. I think we need a break from 'us' for a little while. Don't worry, I will call you every day, but please don't come looking for me. I think that a little separation will be good for us, make us stronger. I know you may not understand why I had to do this but, I promise I will be back soon. I love you more than air.**

**Always and Forever,**

**Nicholas**

As I read the last few sentences I felt like I was going to be sick. Nick was gone. He promised he would come back, but I was still incredibly confused. I didn't know how long I would be able to handle this. It would be just me and this boring apartment complex. I threw myself across the bed and retrieved my cell phone from the nightstand. I quickly dialed Nick's number, having a little trouble because my hands were shaking. He picked up after the second ring. "Hello?"

"Nick!" I shouted with relief.

"Hi, Baby."

"Where are you?" I asked, anxiously.

"Arizona." he sighed.

"Why?" I asked, leaning against the headboard.

"Did you get my note?"

"Yes, but I don't understand. Why did you have to go so far?"

"I was having second thoughts." he said, causing my breath to hitch in my throat.

"Second thoughts?" I gulped. "You don't love me anymore?"

"NO! Of course I love you. Did you read the letter carefully?" he said, sounding worried.

"You said, this would make us stronger."

"And," he pushed.

"Y-you love me more than air?" I guessed.

"Yes Joe." he sighed.

"Well, then come back if you love me so much. I have separation anxiety." I pleaded.

"Joe," he chuckled. "I can't, not yet."

"Why not?" I whined.

"I just got here. I promised you I would come back, didn't I?"

"Well yeah but,"

"But…I'm going to come back, Baby." he interrupted.

"But what am I supposed to do? You and Tommy are both gone."

"Joe, you have friends, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Well there you go. I'm down here visiting Gavin and Jacob for a little while and this will give you more time to focus on work." he explained.

"I work at a restaurant." I scoffed.

"And?"

"And, I can only take so much of Larry Costello."

"You'll live." he laughed.

"I miss you." I said, sadly.

"I miss you too." he sighed. "That's why I stole your NYU sweatshirt."

"Hey! That's my favorite one!"

"Exactly."

"But you're in Arizona, you don't need a sweatshirt."

"So? You're here in spirit." I could here the smile in his tone. I gripped at the comforter, feeling the tears coming. Nick wasn't compromising when I needed him.

"I have to go, Baby." he sighed.

"What? No, not yet." I said, urgently.

"I'm sorry. I promise I will call you later, Kay?"

"Kay. I love you."

"I love you too, Joe." he said, then the line went dead. I sighed and looked out the window. _What was I to do?_

I never realized how dependant I was of Nick, until I could think of nothing to do. All day I cleaned laundry, watched the news and just stared blankly into space. A very productive day, right?

When I pulled a load of laundry out of the washer, I hit my hand on the shelf above, causing me to drop most of the clothing into the sink between the washer and dryer. I rubbed my hand self-consciously and then I spotted something off. I moved a few laundry detergent bottles and there it sat, covered in dust and it's previous deep romantic red had turned into a wilting mahogany. The beautiful rose I had given Nick as a gift was now wilting away, like my spirit. I didn't think I would be able to survive without Nick here. I shouldn't be so attached to him but it's hard. I love him so much, I never want to live a day without him.

The next few days were agony. I did nothing productive, except clean every piece of clothing that we own. Now I had nothing to do. I made myself a bagel and I spread cream cheese on it as slow as possible, hoping to pass a good amount of time. Once the bagel was perfectly covered in cream cheese I ate it carefully and slowly.

My next activity was skimming through the contacts on my cell phone, hoping to find someone I could hang out with so I could get my mind off of Nick.

_Austin…out of town._

_Abbey…haven't spoken to in years_

_Bill…who the hell is that?_

_Cindy…probably screwing Kevin _

_Gavin…keeping Nick away from me_

_Jacob…having a good time with Nick_

_Kevin…HA! Not going to happen_

_Larry Costello…Ewe no._

_Maurice…most likely busy_

_Mom…yeah right!_

_Nick…*sniff*_

_Rob…working_

_Sam…maybe_

_Steven…out of town_

_Tanya…_

_Victoria…creepy ex-girlfriend_

I scanned my contacts twice before I found only one person I could call, Sam. So I dialed her number and it went to her voice mail, so I left a message.

"Hey Sam, this is Joe. I hope I'm not calling at a bad time. I was wondering if you have any plans today. Nick and Tommy went on vacation, so I'm here alone. Let me know if you can hang out. Bye." I ended the call and sat down in the recliner in the living room.

I grabbed the remote from the side table and turned on the television. I had no desire to watch T.V. but it was all I could do. I flipped through a few channels and then turned off the television. I stared out the window for I don't know how long until my phone rang. I flipped open the screen and the name _Sam, _flashed on the screen. I hit the talk button and Sam said hello before I had a chance to.

"Hi Sam, thanks for calling back." I said.

"Oh, no problem. So what are we going to do today?" she asked.

"Really? You're not busy?" I asked, excitedly.

"No, actually I'm really happy you called. I have nothing to do." she sighed.

"Yeah, me either."

"So, what were you planning on doing?"

"Uh…well I hadn't really thought about that. Is there something you want to do?"

"Anything."

"Um…"

"How about a movie?" she asked, saving me.

"Sure, how about I meet you there and we can decide what we want to see then." I suggested.

"O.k. See you there." she answered.

"Bye." I said, but she had already hung up. I raced into my bedroom, slipped on a pair of black skinny jeans and a purple dress shirt. I pulled on a pair of black converse, grabbed my keys from my dresser and ran out the door.

**Nick's POV**

Arizona. It's so different from New York. It's definitely warmer here, dryer, and boring. Gavin lives about 2 hours outside of Phoenix and there is absolutely nothing to do.

I used to go to school with Gavin and he was one of my best friends. But, his parents had to move out to Arizona for work. We have kept in touch and our friendship hasn't changed. One thing has changed about Gavin, that in my case is a good thing. He's gay. His boyfriend, Jacob, lives with him and Jacob has also become one of my closest friends.

Gavin is my one and only friend who knows about my life. He knows about Tanya and her death. He knows about Rick and what he did to my family. He is also the only person, besides Kevin, who knows about my relationship with Joe. He took the situation a lot differently than Kevin did. He is very supportive and he says exactly what Joe tells me everyday, Love is Infinite.

I was sitting on Gavin's deck, enjoying the sun, when Tommy jumped into my lap.

"Daddy," he whined. "I miss Joey."

"I miss Joey, too." I sighed.

"I want to go home." he frowned.

"I know, Buddy. But we can't for a few weeks."

"How long is that?" he asked.

"A long time." I said, repositioning him in my lap, so I could hold him.

"But, I want Joey, now."

"Me too, Buddy." I sighed, pulling him closer.

We sat in silence for about ten minutes before I could feel the heat closing my eyelids. I looked down at Tommy and he was already asleep, one of his little hands gripping my shirt. I leaned my head back and let my muscles relax, closing my eyes.

"Nick?" someone asked, nudging my shoulder. I forced my eyelids open and looked up to see Gavin smiling down at me.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Do you want to come in for dinner?" he asked.

"Dinner? What happened to lunch?"

"You slept through lunch." he laughed.

"Are you serious? How long have I been asleep?" I asked, worried.

"About six hours."

"SIX HOURS!" I shouted, sitting up.

"Hey that's what Arizona does to you." he shrugged. I stood up and Gavin escorted me back into his condo. Jacob and Tommy were already sitting down at the round table in the kitchen, waiting to eat. I sat down next to Tommy and Gavin sat next to Jacob, who kissed him on the cheek. Gavin's long blonde hair didn't hide the fact that he blushed when Jacob did so. I watched them interlace their fingers, resting their conjoined hands on the table. I guess they caught me staring because they quickly released their hands.

"Sorry." Jacob apologized, with a worried tone.

"Oh no. Please go ahead, I just miss Joe." I admitted.

"Oh." Gavin sighed, as he reconnected his hand with Jacob's.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jacob asked.

"Not right now." I sighed.

"Maybe later?" he asked.

"Sure." I said, picking up my fork and stabbing a piece of chicken.

I zoned out during dinner, only thinking about Joe and how much I missed him. I didn't realize how bad of an idea this was until now. We obviously both needed each other more than we thought. I was beginning to have that separation anxiety that Joe claimed he had this morning.

"Nick?" I heard a muffled voice speak.

"NICK!" Jacob yelled.

"Huh?" I snapped my head up and stared at him.

"Are you alright? I have been calling your name." he asked and I realized that the table was empty, except for my plate.

"Oh," I gasped, looking at the table.

"Are you o.k.?" he asked, sitting down across from me.

"Not really." I sighed.

"Can we talk about it?"

"I'm worried." I started.

"About what?" he asked, leaning towards me.

"Me and Joe."

"Why? Are you worried it's not working?"

"Absolutely not! I don't think we have ever been closer."

"Well then what's bothering you?"

"I have been having this dream lately. You know…the kind where you wake up sweating and breathing like you just ran a marathon."

"Sure,"

"Well, it's me and Joe in New York. At first it's fine and then everyone we know is there and chasing us, like a big mob chasing rabid vampires or something."

"O.k." he chuckled.

"I'm worried that is going to happen. That people are going to find out about us and want to kill us." I cringed.

"No one is going to kill you, Nick."

"Not me, but at the end of my…nightmare, Joe gets killed." I said, feeling my forehead mold into deep creases.

"That won't happen, Nick."

"But, are relationship is like illegal, isn't it? Brothers shouldn't be together."

"But you two are and it shouldn't matter. You two love each other, correct?"

"More than anything." that was a rhetorical question but I still answered.

"Then whoever hates you for loving each other, can just go screw themselves." he said, angrily.

"Thanks, Jake. I think?" I said, making him laugh.

"Hey, I speak my mind." he smiled.

"Which isn't always a good thing." Gavin added, walking into the kitchen. He placed his hands on Jacob's shoulders and looked down at me with a worried stare.

"Are you alright?"

"Better." I sighed.

"Good. So, do you want to go golfing tomorrow?" Gavin asked, squeezing Jacob's shoulders.

"Uh, sure." I nodded.

A couple hours later, I was lying in Gavin's guestroom, staring at the ceiling. I couldn't sleep, knowing that Joe wasn't lying next to me. I wanted his arms around my waist, my back against his chest, his chin on my shoulder. I wanted to feel warm and comfortable, but he wasn't here to give me those things. I was warm, wrapped in the blankets, but I was uncomfortable, feeling vulnerable. Then, my phone vibrated on the nightstand, making me jump. I grabbed it off the nightstand and flipped open the screen. The name _Joe_ flashed on the screen.

"Hello?" I whispered, not wanting to disturb Gavin and Jacob.

"Y-you d-didn't call." he stuttered.

"Baby, are you crying?" I asked, quickly sitting up.

"N-n-no." he sniffed.

"I'm so sorry I didn't call, I forgot."

"Y-you forgot about me?" he whispered.

"No, baby. I mean I forgot to call. I thought about you all day." I rushed, trying to comfort him.

"Oh…I thought about you all day too." he said, his voice cracking.

"So, what did you do today? Anything exciting?" I asked, hoping to easily change the subject.

"I think I washed every piece of clothing that we own."

"Oh Really?" I chuckled. _Typical Joe._

"But, I went to the movies with Sam."

"What did you see?"

"I don't know. I let her choose and I was too distracted to watch the movie."

"Joe," I sighed. "Why are we having such a hard time with this?"

"We?" he asked.

"You have no idea. I zoned out during dinner and I slept for six hours, skipping lunch, because I didn't get any sleep. I miss you."

"Then come back, please." he pleaded.

"Joe, I can't. I need this to work."

"Why? I can't stand you being away from me. I want you here." I could hear the tears coming again.

"I-I have been having…a dream lately." I said, twisting one of my curls that hung in my face. "I have had it every night for a week now. Joey, I'm scared. I don't want this nightmare to come true. I Don't Want To Loose You." I said, my voice raising with every sentence.

"You can't loose me, Nick. I would never, ever leave you."

"I know you wouldn't but, someone else might take you from me."

"Who Nick?"

"Everyone."

"What?"

"Everyone, Joe. If someone didn't think our relationship was right, they could take you away." I whispered, tears trickling down my cheeks.

"No one could ever take me away from you, Nick."

"But, in my…nightmare, they did. We were running away, but you stopped and walked away from me, protecting me an-and they killed you." I cried.

There was a long silence, just listening to each others uneven breathing.

"Is that why you left me?"

"I didn't leave you." I quickly stated.

"But you left. You left me _here_ alone."

"Yes, Baby. I did leave you because of my nightmare, but that's only because I don't want it to come true."

"Why would going to Arizona solve any of this?"

"I don't know. It sounded like a good idea a few days ago."

"Well, it's not. Do you see what it has done to us? Sleepless nights, distracted mornings. You can't honestly believe that this was a good idea."

"It wasn't." I sighed.

"Then come back! I'm begging you! Please!" he pleaded.

"But I can't yet. My plane tickets are for next week."

"I'll buy you new ones, for tomorrow." he offered.

"You know you don't have that kind of money."

"I would spend everything I had to have you here." he said, in a serious tone.

"Joey, just wait a week. You'll be fine, I promise. I know it's going to be hard but please try, for me."

"I'll try." he sighed.

"I have to get some sleep, Baby. I'm going golfing tomorrow." I said, sadly.

"Kay. I should probably get some sleep too. Have fun tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you," "More than air." Joe added.

"Yep." I chuckled.

"Promise you'll call after golf?"

"I promise."

"Kay. Bye."

"Bye." I sighed, closing my phone. I set my phone back on the nightstand and sunk into the bed. I took one last look at my phone before I finally closed my eyes and fell asleep.

**Sam's POV**

I sat in my apartment, head resting in my hands, elbows on the kitchen table, staring at my cell phone. I wanted someone to call, to pull me out of my boredom.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Jillian shouted from the living room. I looked up as she came sprinting into the kitchen.

"Yes Jillie?" I asked, keeping my head in my hands.

"Can I have some juice?" she asked, bouncing up and down, her brown hair swinging from side to side.

"Sure, honey." I stood up and shuffled to the refrigerator, pulling out the bottle of apple juice. Jillian tugged on my pant leg, so I looked down. She was stretching up on her toes to hand me her sippy cup. I took it from her and poured the apple juice into it. I put the lid back on and handed it back to her. When she ran out of the kitchen my phone started to ring.

"_I like, where we are. _

_When we drive in your car._

_I like where we are,_

_Here."_

I ran the close distance from the counter to the table and yanked my phone from the table. I flipped open the screen and the name _Joe_ flashed on the screen. I felt a rush of excitement surge through my body as I opened the text.

_Joe:_

_You, Sleek Night, 20 minutes_

A squeal escaped my throat as I read the text. I have a huge crush on Joe, it was almost overwhelming. I tried to hide it as best as I could, but when he's shirtless, like last week, I go insane! It's like my mind is some rabid animal that was just released from its cage. But, I do my best to control my thoughts because I love hanging out with him, I don't want to scare him with my fantasies.

I ran out of the kitchen and down the hall to my bedroom where I quickly turned on my curling iron, laid out my make-up and grabbed a blue dress from my closet.

"Where we goin' mommy?" Jillian asked, walking into my room.

"You're going to Katie's and I'm going out with Joey."

"YAY!" she shouted, running from my room.

It only took me a mere 15 minutes to curl my hair into bouncy ringlets, apply make-up, jewelry, my dress and heels. I was very impressed with how fast I did all of that without injuring myself. I grabbed my small clutch, stuffed my cell phone and 20 dollars into it and snapped the clasp shut. I walked into the living room, where Jillian was already waiting by the door. I grabbed my car keys and we walked out the door.

I dropped Jillian off at Katie's and drove to the hottest club in town. It was already 7pm and there were people lined up to get inside. I found a parking spot a little ways down the street and then pulled out my phone to call Joe.

"Hey, Babe!" he answered, making my cheeks start to burn.

"Hi, Joe." I said, shyly. "I'm here."

"I know." he chuckled.

"How?"

"Look to your left." I turned my head and there Joe stood, staring back at me from the other side of my window. He was wearing a black dress shirt and white skinny jeans. _Oh how God has blessed me and this gorgeous man. _

"Are you going to get out of the car?" he spoke into the phone.

"Oh no, I was just going to sit here all night." I teased.

"Awe, that's too bad." he frowned. I opened my door and he flipped his phone shut, stuffing it in his pocket. I opened my clutch and stuffed my phone in. Then, his hand was in front of my face.

"My Lady." he smiled. I took his hand and he helped me out of my car. He kicked my door shut and then pulled me to his side, placing his hand on the small of my back. He escorted me to the door, passing a line of waiting people.

"Mo." Joe nodded to the security guard. The man nodded back and opened the door for us. I just about keeled over when I felt Joe slide his hand from my back to grab my hand, pulling me through the crowd. _I could get used to this._

An hour into our night at the club, I went to the restroom to make sure I still looked decent. My hair was still in perfect ringlets, but my eyeliner was smudged, so I ran my finger under my eyes a few times. I walked back into the club, hoping to see Joe waiting for me outside the door, but he wasn't there. I looked around nervously for him but I couldn't find him. I was really scared, I never went out to clubs anymore. Ever since the incident with Jillian's father, I never went out at night. But, I felt comfortable with Joe around, until now when I couldn't find him and I started to receive stares from other men. I tried to keep my head down as I walked back into the crowd of people. Then, the crowd started moving towards the bar. People started chanting and I was getting bumped into as people started jumping.

"JOE! JOE! JOE!" the people chanted. I figured it was a different Joe because I had never seen Joe drink before. But, once I reached the front of the crowd, the sight I saw made me cringe. Joe was standing up on the counter chugging a huge beer. My mouth dropped open as I stared up at him. As he gulped down the last of the beer he threw the glass down at the counter, shattering it. Shards flew into the crowed and I shielded my eyes. _This wasn't the Joe I knew._

"Hey, sexy." he yelled. I looked up and he was staring down at me. He jumped down from the counter and stumbled towards me. He forcefully grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the crowd.

"Isn't she sexy?" he shouted to the crowd, pointing at me. A loud roar of whistles and hoots and hollers filled the club. I looked up at Joe with pleading eyes and I watched as a sly grin spread across his lips. His eyes weren't their regular deep melted chocolate either, they were a glazed milk chocolate and it frightened me. He was drunk beyond drunk, now I had no protection. It wasn't like Joe to go out and get drunk, something must be bothering him.

I twisted my wrist in his hand and grabbed onto his, pulling him in front of me. I put my other hand on his shoulder and shoved him through the crowd, towards the door. People were giving him high fives and others were shouting sex requests like,

"Fuck his lights out, Baby!," "He likes it rough!," and "Go crazy on his ass!"

I pushed him harder towards the door, as I started getting slapped on the ass. Then I shoved him into the door and he fell down on the side walk. The security guard picked him up by the shoulders and made sure Joe was steady before he let go.

"Gees, Joe. What have you been doing?" he asked.

"D-rink-in." Joe slurred, swaying back and forth.

"Nick won't be very happy with you."

"SHUT UP!" Joe screamed, causing him to fall to his knees.

"W-what's going on?" I asked.

"He's not supposed to be drinking." the guard said. "And he knows that." he said, throwing his words at Joe.

"Shut Up Maurice!" Joe yelled.

"Maybe you should take him back home before he gets violent."

"Violent?" I cringed.

"No, no. Not with you. I promise, that won't happen. Just get him home before he causes trouble." Maurice instructed, pulling Joe to his feet again. I grabbed Joe around the waist and he slummed against my side.

"Good Luck." Maurice nodded.

"Thanks." I said, dragging Joe towards my car. I got him in the backseat and I pulled the seatbelt across his waist. As I drove Joe back to his apartment, he fell asleep. His head was resting on the window so I did my best not to hit too many potholes. When we were finally at his apartment, it was about 10pm. I helped him through the door and almost dropped him in the entry. We got to the couch and then he fell onto the black cushions. I pulled off his shoes and draped a blanket over his shoulders. I found a small waste basket in the laundry room and set it next to the couch before I left.

This happened every night for the next four days. I would get a call from Maurice, drive to Sleek Night, drive Joe's drunken body home, take off his shoes, cover him with a blanket and leave a waste basket by the couch. But, tonight I was going to stay with him. I needed to make sure he didn't go out again because he kept getting sick. Maurice also said that he may have gotten into some heroin and I wasn't going to let him do that again.

I slept in his bedroom while he was passed out on the couch. This was going to be a long night.

**Nick's POV**

Finally, I was home. Sweet, sweet New York. I pulled into the parking lot at the Bushnell Plaza and let out a sigh. I could finally see Joe again. Leaving him wasn't my best plan but, I think it showed how much we love each other and how much we need each other.

I carried three duffle bags up to our apartment with Tommy trailing behind me. He had a backpack on his back and his blanket cradled to his face. It was only 7am so he was still very tired. I opened the door to our apartment and dropped the bags in the entry. Tommy walked up next to me and leaned on my leg. I bent down and picked him up. He nuzzled his face into my neck as I closed the door.

Joe was lying on the couch, shirtless and had a blanket wrapped around his waist. There was a trash can next to the couch and a glass of water on the side table. Just as I was about to take a step, a girl walked into the room. She had blonde, wavy hair and she was only wearing a tank top and boy shorts. _What has he done?_

The girl bent down next to Joe, brushing the hair from his face and tucking it behind his ear. As she started rubbing his back, Joe opened his eyes. A smile spread across his lips, making my stomach flip. I felt the tears start to form in my eyes. _Did he cheat on me?_

Then, the girl stood up, turning towards me. When our eyes locked, she jumped back and tripped over a rug, falling on her back. Joe immediately sat up and looked at her stunned face. He cautiously turned his head and when he was finally looking at me, he started shaking.

"N-nick?" he asked, but I only nodded. I couldn't speak, too many thoughts were rushing through my head.

"What have you done?" I whispered, tightening my arms around Tommy.

"Nothing good." he sighed.

"What did you do, Joseph?" I demanded, getting angry.

"You'll hate me." he said, avoiding eye contact.

"Just tell him." the girl encouraged.

"Shut Up!" I yelled. She looked up at me with wide eyes and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Nick, be nice." Joe said.

"Be Nice? What Did You Do?" I yelled, feeling myself start to lose the battle against my tears.

"Nick, don't yell at me." Joe cringed.

"Did you have sex with her, Joe? Could you not handle yourself? What is wrong with you? I thought you l-" I stopped, fearing I would say too much.

"NICK! I didn't have sex!" he yelled. "I would never do that to you-to us." he whispered, tears running freely down his cheeks.

"Then what happened?" I asked, stepping into the living room.

"I-I…I got drunk." he whispered. "Every night."

"Then why is she here, Joe? Did you have sex with her and not know it?"

"STOP WITH THE SEX! I didn't have sex! I wouldn't have sex! STOP!" he screamed.

"Sorry. Just help me understand."

"She was here helping me. When I would get drunk she would drive me home."

"I stayed over last night because he was starting to get sick." the girl added.

"Well…I feel like an ass."

"YOU ARE AN ASS!" Joe yelled.

"Daddy…why is Joey yelling." Tommy asked, wrapping his arms around my neck.

"Nice Job. You scared him, Joe." I shook my head, rubbing Tommy's back. Joe jumped off the couch and came up to me, taking Tommy from my arms.

"I'm sorry, Bud." he said, hugging Tommy to his chest.

"I miss Joey." Tommy said.

"I missed you too, both of you." Joe said, tears running down his cheeks again. I pulled him into a hug and inconspicuously kissed his neck.

"I'm sorry I freaked out. It just…didn't look like…never mind." I sighed.

"It's o.k. Just don't yell at me like that again."

"I promise."

**Joe's POV**

Nick was finally back in my arms. I felt a huge weight lift from my shoulders when I saw him standing in the doorway. All of that stupid drinking was because he wasn't here. I feel like an idiot for breaking my promise. I promised him I wouldn't drink again because of what happened with Tanya. Drinking just doesn't solve anything.

"That girl is still here." Nick whispered.

"Her name is Sam." I corrected. Nick pulled out of the hug and looked at me with wide eyes.

"What?" I asked.

"That's Sam? The girl who's in love with you?"

"Yeah." I chuckled.

"She's hot. If you won't give her a chance, I will." he said, resulting in me punching him in the stomach.

"Kidding." he laughed. I turned around and Sam was still sitting on the floor with wide eyes.

"Sammy? It's o.k. Nick won't kill you." I chuckled. She nodded and slowly stood up. Then, Nick walked past me, towards Sam, with a huge smile on his face. When he was a few feet from her he pulled back his hand like he was going to hit her and she cringed.

"Nice to meet you, Sam." he smiled, holding out his hand. Sam opened one eye and looked down at his hand. She relaxed and shook his hand. Then, Nick yanked her hand and pulled her against his chest. He sunk his lips into her forehead and I thought Sam's knees were going to buckle. When Nick released her, she stumbled backwards.

"Thanks for taking care of Joe." Nick said, his face was serious now. Sam just nodded and then walked into my room, probably to get dressed.

"You're messing with her head, Nicholas." I chuckled.

"It's fun." he smiled. As Nick started walking towards me, Sam came running out of the bedroom. She was fully dressed and carrying a duffle bag. She just about plowed through the door before even opening it.

"Bye Sam." I called after her, but she was already gone. Then, I realized I was still holding Tommy. His body was limp in my arms, his face buried in my neck. I stumbled down the hall towards his room, feeling the side affects of my late night drinking. Then, I felt Nick's arms wrap around my waist.

"Nicky? You are just going to make this more difficult." I sighed.

"Here…let me put him in bed." he said, releasing my waist. "Go to our room and I will be there in a minute." he instructed, taking Tommy from my arms.

"Kay." I sighed, turning and walking back down the hall. I crossed the living room, nearly running into a wall. I safely made it into our bedroom and crawled under the covers, sinking into the mattress. A few minutes later, I heard the door close and the bed shifted.

"Hello, Beautiful." Nick chuckled, laying one arm over my waist and pulling me closer to him.

"Hi." I said, turning my head to face him.

"How are you feeling? I don't need to go get a bucket, do I?" he asked, worriedly.

"No." I chuckled. "I think it's passed. I feel a lot better now that you're here."

"Well, that's good news." he smiled. "That means I can do this," Nick sat up and swung his leg over my waist and laid down on top of me, wrapping his arms around me.

"Feeling any better now?" he smirked.

"A bit, but I know something that would make me feel better." I smirked back.

"Oh really, and what would that be, my king?"

"This," I said, gripping his shoulders and shifting my weight, rolling us over, so I was on top.

"You know, you are a very controlling king." Nick smiled.

"Why thank you, young peasant." I said, in my best British accent.

"Peasant? Ewe." he cringed.

"You better like your ranking or I will banish you from the kingdom."

"Yes, your hinnies." Nick said, closing his eyes. I eased down on top of him and rested my chin in the middle of his chest, staring up at him.

"I'm sorry I went to Arizona." he whispered, running his fingers through my hair.

"Why? You got to see Gavin and Jacob. I didn't die." I chuckled.

"Yeah but I missed you and I left you here, vulnerable. I shouldn't have done that."

"So, are you going to get me a babysitter or a man-sitter?"

"No, because I'm never leaving you like that again."

"Good." I sighed, resting my cheek on his chest and wrapping my arms tighter around his waist. We laid like this for a long time, just listening to each others breaths, Nick running his fingers through my hair. Then, I started to smell something off. Something different, yet extravagant. Delicious, yet intoxicating.

"Nicholas? What is that?" I asked, breathlessly.

"Hmm?" he asked, twisting a few strands of my hair around his finger.

"That smell." I said, taking in a deep breath.

"Oh, that." he chuckled. "It's my new cologne."

"Cologne? I didn't know something could smell that amazing." I sighed.

"Yeah, Gavin gave it to me. He said it drives Jacob crazy."

"Well, it's working. I have officially gone crazy." I said, returning my gaze back to Nick.

"That's good. I'll have to call Gavin and tell him." he smiled.

"Kay, but not now." I husked, scooting up his body so I could kiss him.

Our lips were finally together again. It felt like they were supposed to be there, they belonged together just like Nick and I. Our tongues met together in his mouth, dancing over each other. I rubbed my hands over his chest and pulled at the hem of his shirt. Nick bucked his hips and I knew that was a signal to get the damn shirt off of him. It only took me a few seconds to get both mine and Nick's shirts off, warm skin against warm skin.

An hour or so later, I was leaning up against the headboard with my head resting on the wall. Nick's legs were wrapped around my waist and we were both only in our boxer-briefs. His lips were attached to my neck, trying to suck the life out of me. I did my best to keep myself from releasing the moans that so eagerly wanted to escape my throat. I was putty in his hands, he could do anything he wanted to me and I wouldn't care. My hands were at his hips and Nick's hands were in my hair. _If this is what I get when Nick comes home from vacation, he should go on vacation more often. _

"Nick." I said, breathlessly. "Nick stop." I was starting to go insane. I squeezed his sides, trying to stop him, but it didn't work.

"Nicky Stop." I said, a bit louder. His head snapped up and he stared at me.

"Did I hurt you? What happened?" he asked, frantically.

"Nothing, but you are driving me past insane." I laughed. He smiled back at me and I saw a hint of pink caress his cheeks. Then, he slid his hands from my hair, down my neck, along the plains of my chest, to my waist, his eyes following his hands. Then, he wrapped his arms around my neck and planted his lips into the line of my jaw. I put my hands on the small of his back and pulled him as close as I possibly could. Then, I sat up on my knees and placed Nick down on his back, in front of me. I crawled on top of him, as a sly grin spread across his lips. I lowered my head to his chest and let my lips linger over the skin, causing a deep, sexy moan to escape from Nick's throat. I let my lips sink into the velvet skin of his chest. I placed light kisses up his chest, to his neck, where I eased down on top of him. Nick started to get very noisy. Moans and gasps escaping his lips as I did things to him that I knew were driving him crazy. Then, I dared a move that could either make this so much better or completely ruin everything. I rolled my hips deep into his, eliciting the most delicious sound from Nick. I felt something trigger in my head and a spasm of lust shot through my body. I immediately gripped the waistband of his boxer-briefs, ready to rip them from his body, when Nick whimpered one of the saddest sounds I had ever heard. I released the fabric from my hands and ran my fingers through my hair.

"I'm sorry, I thought you…I thought…" I struggled.

"I do want this, Joe." Nick husked, sending another spasm to shoot through the entire length of my body.

"Then, why-"

"Tommy is here. We really need to be watching him. I don't want to do this if he's home." he said, placing his hands on my hips.

"Alright." I agreed, placing my hands over his. We got up and got dressed again.

When we walked into Tommy's room he was sitting at his little desk, scribbling on a piece of paper.

"Up already?" I asked. He spun around in his chair and smiled cheerily at me.

"What are you coloring?" Nick asked.

"Pretty picture." he smiled even wider, if that was possible.

"Can we see?" Nick asked, taking a step towards Tommy.

"Only Joey." he said, protectively putting his hands over the picture on his desk.

"Well, I see who's Tommy's favorite." Nick scoffed.

"Oh you'll get over it." I smiled, walking up to Tommy. I bent down next to him and ruffled his curly, brown hair.

"Secret." Tommy whispered.

"Kay." I whispered back, playing along. Tommy picked up the piece of paper and held it out to me, making sure Nick couldn't see. One look at the scribbles and I knew this wasn't good. His picture was almost too vivid for a three year old. It wasn't an awful drawing but what the picture was portraying was awful. I could tell Nick was getting impatient, he must have seen my reaction. I had inhaled too quickly and I was starting to feel light headed. I eased down into a sitting position and looked up at a smiley Tommy, with worried eyes. He obviously didn't know what he was drawing because this wasn't something anyone should be drawing.

"N-Nick." I managed to choke out. He started to walk towards me as I stared at the picture. But he didn't get two feet before Tommy ripped the picture from my hands.

"Only Joey." he frowned.

"But, Daddy wants to see." Nick said, anxiously taking another step.

"No." Tommy said, his forehead creasing. I finally regained my composure and stood up.

"Alright, you go back to coloring, Bud." I said, pushing Nick out of the room. I lifted Nick up and slung him over my shoulder. I jogged into the kitchen and sat him on the counter.

"What the hell?" he laughed.

"Nick, we have to stop." I choked on the words.

"Stop what?" he frowned.

"Everything." I said, straining my voice. I was surprised I got this out.

"Joe, what do you mean?" he asked, taking my face in his hands.

"We can't…we…shouldn't be 'us' anymore." I whispered, my voice cracking.

"What?" he asked, frantically.

"Nick…Tommy saw us." I said, watching hot tears run down Nick's cheeks.

"What do you mean, Joe? I don't like it when you talk like this." he cried.

"The picture…was of us…together."

"So? He loves us." he said, running his thumbs over my cheeks, not releasing my face from his grasp.

"He drew us…together…being incestuous." Nick's entire expression changed at my last words and his eyes glazed over.

"D-do you think he has…others." Nick asked, his expression distant.

"Maybe." I didn't want to admit it but, we have done things while Tommy was home before.

"Joe, I don't want to lose you over this. We'll just be more careful." Nick said, worriedly. He wasn't distant anymore, he was looking me straight in the eye. He jumped off the counter and immediately wrapped his shaking arms around my waist. I held his head to my chest and put my face in his hair, taking in his gorgeous scent. For some reason, this relaxed me and I leaned back against the refrigerator.

"I don't want to lose you either, Nick, but we can't do anything around Tommy anymore."

"Absolutely nothing." Nick agreed, gripping himself as close as he could to me.

Two Months later, in the brisk New York City winter. I was sitting on the kitchen counter, a blanket wrapped tightly around my shoulders, with a cup of coffee in my hands. I brought my warm cup of coffee to my lips and just as I took a sip, Nick came sprinting into the kitchen.

"JOE!" Nick yelled. He was going to fast to stop on the slippery linoleum floor so he ended up sliding across the floor and ramming into the wall. I just about choked to death on my coffee as he crashed to the floor. I set my cup on the counter and jumped to my feet, letting the blanket drop from my shoulders.

"Nick!" I said, hurrying to his side where he had his hands overlapped on his forehead.

"Never again." he groaned.

"Why did you just run full speed into the wall?" I chuckled.

"It's not funny, I didn't know I was going too fast. I just got too excited."

"Obviously." I said, helping him to his feet.

"Kay, so I have the perfect idea." Nick said, excitedly.

"What?"

"You, Me and Tommy all go to Arizona." he smiled.

"And, why is this such an amazing idea?" I asked.

"Because, we can leave Tommy with Gavin and Jacob. Then, we could have our own vacation." he smirked. It took me a minute to comprehend what he was saying but once I figured it out I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him tight against my chest.

"Did I ever tell you I loved you?" I asked, pecking his lips.

"Once or twice." he smiled.

"But wait, where are we going to go? Arizona is boring." I said, loosening my grip on his waist.

"The coast isn't." Nick smirked. He was very happy with himself today, it made me laugh.

"I like this." I smiled, kissing Nick on the cheek.

"Huh?"

"You're happy."

"I like it too." he said and then pressed his lips to mine in a blissful kiss.

* * *

**Reviews make me smile! And, they will make you smile if you want to read the rest! :D**

**~Sleek Blan~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Spirit Airlines or Golf Illustrated**

**Happy Reading!**

* * *

Sleek Paradise

**Nick's POV**

One Week later…

Joe, Tommy and I walked through the terminal at 7am. Tommy was sleeping in my arms, as Joe carried most of our bags, keeping his arm wrapped around my waist. No one knew us here so we didn't have a big problem with being a little closer than our usual public display of affection. It was surprisingly crowded in the airport, but we didn't have much of a problem getting to our designated flight. Granted, people were shoving and hitting us with their luggage but we got to the security quicker than I expected.

"Uh…what now?" Joe asked, setting down the luggage. Joe had never been on a plane before, let alone an airport, so he was a bit nervous.

"Put the luggage up there." I pointed to the belt that led the luggage through the scanner. Joe lifted our luggage onto the belt as I removed my shoes and my jacket and placed them into a bin, along with Tommy's.

"What are you doing?" Joe asked.

"You have to take off your shoes, Joe."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and your belt, and jacket. Then, put them in a bin." I said, pointing to the stack of empty bins.

"Gees." Joe said, taking off his converse. After he got all of his things into the bin, we walked through security with no problems. I got a good laugh watching Joe look at the security guards like they were crazy. He had a bit of a problem taking off his belt, considering a few girls were staring at him as he did so. I really felt like shoving my shoe up their asses but I wanted to make our flight, not get arrested for assault.

We all put our shoes back on and Joe slipped on his belt. Then, we carried our luggage to where the plane was finally boarding. Joe walked towards the entrance to the plane first, but hesitated in the doorway.

"Come on, Baby." I whispered, pushing on his back. Joe took a deep breath and then slowly walked into the cabin of the plane. We quickly found our seats and I stuffed the overhead storage with our luggage as Joe sat in his seat next to the window with Tommy bouncing in his lap.

"Nick, I'm already feeling sick." he said, staring out the window.

"You'll be fine, babe." I said, closing the storage door. I plopped down next to Joe and grabbed his hand, lacing our fingers. He looked to me with a smile caressing his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"It will be fine." I promised, rubbing my other hand up and down his arm.

"Kay." he breathed, as Tommy stared out the window, excitedly. He had a great time on our flight to Arizona 3 months ago.

"_Attention passengers. If you would please sit in your designated seats and buckle your seatbelts, we will be taking flight in the next fifteen minutes." _the pilot announced. I grabbed Tommy from Joe's lap and set him in his seat beside me.

"Daddy," he whined, pointing to the window.

"You can sit with Joey in a little bit." I said, buckling his seatbelt.

"Kay." he sighed, as I buckled my own. I re-laced my fingers with Joe's, feeling him relax. Then, the plane jolted into motion and Joe squeezed my hand.

"It's o.k." I whispered.

"I-I know." he stuttered. As the plane started to gain speed, Joe leaned further and further into his seat.

"Breathe, Baby."

"I-I'm breathing, see?" he said, taking a deep breath. Then, the plane took on its lift off and Joe gasped.

"Woo!" Tommy exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air.

"Oh Lord." Joe breathed, closing his eyes, gripping my hand tighter.

Once we were finally in the air, Joe was still gripping my hand and his eyes were squeezed shut.

"Joe, you did it. You're o.k." I said, rubbing his arm.

"Are you sure? Am I dead?"

"Um…I can see you and hear you, Joe. I don't think your dead." I laughed.

"Good." he breathed, opening his eyes and loosening his grip on my hand.

"_Attention passengers, you are now free to move about the cabin. Thank you."_

"Daddy." Tommy whined.

"Can I let go of your hand with out you going crazy?" I asked, looking at Joe's hand that was tightly gripping mine.

"For a minute or two." he sighed, releasing my hand. I unbuckled Tommy from his seat and plopped him down on Joe's lap. Tommy started bouncing up and down, while he looked out the window.

"Can I have your hand back now?" Joe smiled.

"I don't know." I sighed, looking down at my hand.

"W-what?"

"Are you going to murder my poor and innocent hand again?" I asked, looking up at Joe's shocked face.

"I'll try not too." he nodded, holding his hand out in front of me.

"Kay." I smiled, relocking my hand with his. Joe relaxed and sunk into his seat, staring out the window with Tommy.

Three hours later, I had a Golf Illustrated magazine in my lap, skimming through the pages. Joe had fallen asleep along with Tommy, who was lying across Joe's lap. I still had my hand in Joe's, even though he was asleep. It was a nice feeling to have him with me, unlike the last time I traveled to Arizona.

As I got to the last page in my magazine, I released Joe's hand so I could put the magazine back in my bag, at my feet. Then, the plane jerked downward. Joe quickly sat up with a gasp and Tommy went tumbling off of his lap onto the floor, hitting his head on the seat. Tommy started crying as Joe fumbled to put on his seatbelt.

"Daddy." he cried, tears running down his cheeks. I bent down and picked him up under his arms, as the plane jerked again.

"_Attention passengers, we are experiencing some turbulence. Please return to your seats at this time and buckle your seatbelts, thank you._ "

Instead of putting Tommy in his seat, I held him close to my chest. He gripped at my shirt, as I stroked his curly hair, trying to comfort him.

"Nick, put on your seatbelt." Joe said, nudging my arm. I did as he asked, making sure I didn't make Tommy more upset. Then, the plane jerked again, causing Joe to grip my knee.

"Joe, stop." I said, grabbing his wrist. "Take my hand, baby." Joe quickly put his hand in mine and sunk into his seat.

"I hate planes." he whispered, closing his eyes.

"Excuse me, sir?" I turned and saw a flight attendant standing at the end of our row, staring at me.

"Yes?" I asked, politely.

"Could you please put the boy in his seat?" she asked, gesturing to Tommy.

"Oh…um, sure." I nodded, hoping she would leave. But, she stayed, staring at me.

"Uh, Joe? Joey I need my hand." I said, squeezing his hand. Joe shook his head and I looked back to the flight attendant with a smile. I kicked Joe in the calf of his left leg. He grunted and his eyes popped open. He glared at me and then looked up at the flight attendant.

"Oh." he said, his eyes widening. Joe quickly released my hand and I set Tommy in his seat, buckling him in.

"Thank you, sir." the attendant nodded. As she walked away, the plane jerked downward and Joe gripped the seat.

"I hate this." he whispered.

"Joe, take my hand, she left." I whispered back, placing my hand on his knee. His shaking hand found mine, gripping it tightly. Then, I felt Tommy wrap his little arms around my left arm. I looked down at him as he rested his head on my forearm, closing his eyes. For some reason, I started to feel very awkward, so I nuzzled into Joe, resting my head on his shoulder. After a few minutes, I was lost in sleep, hoping the next few hours would pass by quickly.

**Joe's POV**

"_Attention passengers, we have now landed at your destination. Thank you for riding Spirit Airlines. Have a Great Day." _

I rubbed my eyes and turned to Nick, who was still asleep, resting against my arm. I brushed my hand over his cheek, hoping to gently wake him up.

"Nicky." I whispered, brushing a few curls away from his eyes.

"Mmhm."he groaned.

"We are here, baby." I said, taking his face in my hand, turning it towards mine. I lightly caressed his lips with mine. When, I pulled out of the kiss, Nick was fully alert and staring at me with wide eyes.

"I'm up!" he announced.

We quickly got off the plane, through security and into the parking lot, where we were now waiting for Gavin and Jacob.

"That's them." Nick said, pointing to a white Escalade driving into the parking lot.

"Are you serious?" I asked, in awe.

"Yeah." Nick laughed.

"They have an awesome car." I said, picking up our luggage.

"And that's not all." Nick smiled.

"Well, let's go!" I yelled, picking Tommy up around the waist and sprinting over to Gavin and Jacob's car. Nick came up to me, shaking his head. When Gavin and Jacob got out of the car, we were greeted with hugs and high fives. Then, we were off to Gavin's condo.

After Nick and I placed our things in Gavin's guest bedroom and laid Tommy down for a nap, he took us out to his second garage. He said he had a surprise for us. As the garage door slowly went up, Nick interlocked his fingers with mine. When the door was finally up, the most gorgeous and expensive boat I had ever seen was revealed to us.

"W-what is that?" Nick stuttered.

"The freakin' coolest speed boat you have ever seen." Jacob smiled.

"It's amazing." I said, breathlessly.

"And that's why we are letting you borrow it for the week." Gavin said.

"Huh?" Nick and I said in unison.

"You heard me." Gavin smiled.

"B-but…" Nick said.

"I LOVE YOU!" I screamed, releasing Nick's hand and jumping on Gavin.

"Jake! Get him off me!" Gavin yelled. I jumped off of Gavin and wrapped Jacob in a hug.

"G-gav? H-help!" Jacob choked. I released Jacob and then shoved my hands in my pockets.

"Wow, if he gets that excited over a speed boat, I don't know if I want to tell him the best part." Gavin smiled.

"I'll hold him." Nick said, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Kay." Gavin chuckled. "Well, like you know, ever since my parents died, I inherited everything. Little did I know, my dad bought my mom an island for there 20th anniversary." Gavin smiled.

"G-Gavin?" Nick asked, tightening his grip on my waist.

"I am giving you that island, for your entire stay." Nick and I were speechless. I just stared at Gavin with wide eyes as he laughed at our expressions.

"A whole island?" Nick finally spoke.

"Well, it's not that big, but it's private."

"I-I…I don't…what?" I struggled with my words.

"Your welcome." Jacob laughed.

"And we are taking that gorgeous boat to that amazing island?" I asked.

"That's how we planned it." Gavin nodded.

"I LOVE YOU!" I screamed again.

"When should we go?" Nick asked, failing to restrain me.

"Tomorrow. There is supposed to be great weather." Jacob announced.

"YAY!" I yelled.

Five hours later, we had eaten dinner, watched a movie and enjoyed Gavin and Jacob's company. But now, Nick and I were lying in the Queen size bed in the guest room. I had my arms wrapped around his waist, as his hands were resting against my bare chest. He had his face nuzzled into my neck as I hummed a random tune.

"I can't wait until tomorrow." he whispered into my neck.

"Me either." I whispered back. Nick lifted his head and stared lovingly into my eyes, before pressing his lips to mine. Our kiss was slow and passionate, as we savored every moment. Our legs entangled, pulling our bodies as close together as possible. This was one of our last intimate and juvenile moments together before we stretched our knowledge. Before, not only our minds but, our bodies would finally be one single unit. We needed this moment to be perfect, to be remembered for the rest of our lives.

When I woke early in the morning, my arms were wrapped around a plump, feather pillow. There was a note resting where Nick's body should be laying next to me. All of the pain and memories came rushing back as I stared at the folded piece of paper. My breath hitched in my throat as my shaking hand pulled the note closer to my face. I unfolded the white piece of paper and I could feel the color drain from my face as I stared at the words written by Nick.

**Baby,**

**Don't worry, I'm outside. **

**Nicholas**

I sighed with relief as I pressed my face into the pillow I was still clutching. I rolled off the bed and shuffled to the bedroom door, pulling on a pair of sweatpants. I pulled the door shut behind me, accidentally slamming it closed. I walked down the hall and as I turned the corner into the living room, I spotted Nick standing on the deck leaning against the railing, staring into the sunrise.

**Jacob's POV **

I shot up from my peaceful sleep with a gasp. I heard a door slam down the hall that scared me awake.

"Baby?" Gavin's groggy voice asked. "Are you o.k.?" he asked, rubbing his hand over my arm.

"Yeah, but I'm going to go check on Joe and Nick, Kay?" I answered.

"Kay." he groaned. I hopped off the bed and placed a kiss on Gavin's forehead before walking from our bedroom. I walked into the living room just as Joe walked out onto the deck, closing the sliding glass door. I leaned against the wall as I watched him walk up behind Nick and wrap his arms around Nick's waist. Joe rested his chin on Nick's shoulder as they both stared off into the sunrise, creeping up over the mountains. Just as Joe and Nick's lips molded together, I spotted our neighbor walking into our backyard with a shotgun tucked under his arm. I sprinted across the living room and quickly slid the glass door open, frightening Joe and Nick.

"Hey Jake." Joe greeted. "What's-"

"You sick, horny Italian!" our neighbor shouted, readying his gun. I jumped off the deck and put my hands out in front of me, stopping him.

"Mr. Jenkins, please." I insisted. Mr. Jenkins tucked his gun back under his arm and let out a puff of air.

"Who is that sick boy?" he scoffed.

"He's my friend, sir." I said, dropping my hands to my sides.

"Well, Mr. Allen, I don't want to see that when I wake in the morning ever again."

"I will personally make sure that it never happens again, sir." I nodded. Mr. Jenkins turned on his heel, but stopped after he walked two feet. He spun around and stared up at Joe and Nick.

"Hey Curly?" he shouted.

"Me?" Nick asked, pointing to his chest.

"Yeah! Do me a favor and make sure your Italian keeps his dick in his pants from now on." he shouted, as he turned on his heel again, walking away.

"Who does he think I am?" Joe asked, throwing his hands in the air.

"A man whore?" Nick shrugged, causing me to burst out laughing.

"NICK!" Joe yelled, slapping Nick on the arm.

"What? You asked." Nick laughed.

"Come on, Jake." Joe called, picking Nick up around the waist and slinging him over his shoulder.

I jogged into the house a few seconds after Joe and Nick. When I walked in, Joe was already sitting on top of Nick, tickling him to death on the couch.

"Man Whore?" Joe taunted, as Nick squirmed under him.

"I-I…didn't mean…it…STOP!" Nick managed to say in between laughs.

"What's the magic word?" Joe asked in a sing song voice.

"Please!" Nick laughed.

"Nope, that's not it." Joe said.

"WHAT?!" Nick shouted.

"Seduce me, baby." Joe sang.

"I-I…can't!" Nick laughed, thrashing around.

"Then, I won't stop tickling you." Joe cooed.

"I love you so much, baby. You are the sexiest, non-man whore in the entire universe." Nick strained to say, as Joe tickled him.

"Awe, thank you." Joe sighed, as he stopped torturing Nick. I just laughed to myself as I listened to Nick's uneven and heavy breaths.

**Nick's POV**

Noon. It was finally time for Joe and I to go on our 'Honeymoon' as Jacob calls it. As Gavin and Jacob were docking the boat, Joe and I stood hand in hand on the sandy beach, staring out over the water. Tommy, was only a few yards away, playing in the sand. Then, I noticed something about the gorgeous speed boat that I hadn't noticed before. There were strange words inscribed on the side of it. It read: _Amour Eternal._

I cocked my head at the illegible words, wondering what their purpose was.

"Nick? What's wrong?" Joe asked, brushing a hand over my cheek.

"What does that say?" I asked, pointing to the boat.

"Oh! It's French!" Joe exclaimed, making me look at him with confusion.

"And you know this how?"

"I took a year of French in high school." he smiled.

"Oh, I remember that." I chuckled. "So, what does it say?" I watched as Joe stared at the boat, causing deep lines to mold his forehead. Then, his expression seemed to turn surprised or incredulous, I couldn't tell.

"It says, Eternal Love." he breathed, as his grip on my hand tightened.

"It does?" I smiled. Joe just nodded, still staring at the boat. For some reason, I started to feel content and relaxed, so I leaned into Joe and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Alright Love Birds!" Jacob announced, jumping off the dock and striding towards us. "You ready to take flight?" he smiled at his lame joke.

"Absolutely." I nodded, lifting my head from Joe's shoulder and looking at his now relaxed features.

"Sweet! Come on." he waved. "Come On Tommy Boy!" he yelled, causing Tommy to squeak.

Gavin got us settled, showing mainly Joe how to work the gears and what not, while I searched through our bags making sure we had everything.

"ALRIGHT! Let's ride like the wind!" Joe cheered, throwing his arms in the air.

"Alright, now remember, the cleaning crew is coming on Saturday." Gavin nodded. "Now, How long is that from now?"

"Two days, Gavin. Chill." Joe smirked.

"Hey! We know how distracting it gets when you're all wrapped up in each other. We just don't want you frightening the crew like Gavin and I did." Jacob smiled.

"Oh Lord." I shook my head.

"O.k. so there is a mapping of the island in the little compartment up front. I already told Joe the directions and there are jet skis on the island, that you can use if you wish." Gavin said, checking off his imaginary list. "Oh, and the island's name is La Lune de Miel." he smirked.

"More French? GAH!" I rolled my eyes.

"Alright, I'm not that up on my French, what does it mean?" Joe asked. Gavin looked from Jacob to Joe to me and then shoved his hands in his front pockets.

"It means, Honeymoon." he blushed.

"How appropriate." Joe said, making me smile.

"Well, go on. Go, go." Jacob waved. "Go make love on some forbidden island, go on!" he pushed.

"Bye Daddy!" Tommy waved.

"Bye Bud. Have fun." I called.

"Bye Joey!" Tommy jumped, still waving.

"See You, Tommy Boy!" Joe yelled, jerking the boat into drive. We slowly glided out into the ocean as I waved to Tommy, Gavin and Jacob. Then, I stood up, carefully walking into the front of the boat and plopping down in a seat next to Joe. He eased up on the accelerator, starting the havoc of our hair wiping in the wind.

"Babe? Can you grab my sunglasses?" Joe squinted. I nodded, getting up and walking over to our bags. It took me a few minutes to find both of our sunglasses. I slid mine on and then slowly walked to the front of the boat, looking around at the gorgeous water and coastline. When I reached the front I slid Joe's sunglasses on his nose for him and then sat back down, placing my hand on his knee. Joe took one hand off the steering wheel and intertwined his fingers with mine. I leaned into him again, placing my head on his shoulder, taking in his scent before closing my eyes. Surprisingly, the wiping of the wind and the thrusts of the boat were quite comforting, encasing me in a peaceful sleep.

I felt the boat start to slow to a careful rocking, waking me up. I groaned at the action of having to open my eyes. But opening my eyes to Joe's smiling face made it all worth while. I smiled back at him as I released his hand, stretching my arms high above me. I unwillingly turned my gaze away from Joe's face to see that we were slowly gliding to the shore of an absolutely breathtaking island. There was a perfectly sandy coast wrapping around the island. Most of the island was covered by the tallest palm trees I have ever seen. The most stunning part of the island was staring right back at me, it was a two story beach house. Windows were the main architecture of this gorgeous structure along with its mahogany siding. I spotted a small shed tucked behind the house, most likely holding the jet skis that Joe and I were excited to take advantage of. I felt Joe's hand rub over my thigh as we both stared in amazement at this perfect island. There was a small dock that Joe was carefully trying to pull up next to. Once the dock was in jumping distance, Joe stood up and hurled himself off the boat, onto the dock. He guided the boat next to the dock and tied it down while I steadied the boat and turned it off. I threw the bags onto the dock and grabbed the key from the ignition before jumping onto the dock.

"Ready to have the best week ever?" Joe smiled.

"Absolutely." I nodded, happily. I picked up one bag while Joe slung the other over his shoulder. He held out his hand to me and I gladly took it, pulling myself as close to him as I could. We walked through the perfectly white sand towards the beach house, making sure to take our time, engraving these moments into our minds. As we climbed the few stairs leading up to the front door of this gorgeous house I spotted a phrase engraved into the wood above the door. As expected, it was written in French, but I had a feeling of what it might say.

"Joseph?" I whispered. "What does that say?" I asked, pointing to the word: _S'enamourer. _

"Nicky?" Joe gulped.

"Huh?" I asked, looking up at him.

"It means, To Fall In Love." he said, slowly turning his gaze to my shocked face.

"Really?" I breathed, feeling my cheeks heat up. Joe dropped his bag from his shoulder and turned to me, gripping my face in his hands. I gently dropped mine to the porch and stared into Joe's worried eyes. He looked over my features, searching for something.

"What is it, Joe?" I asked.

"A-Are you scared?" he asked, brushing his thumbs over my cheeks.

"No, are you?" I asked, worriedly.

"Yes." he nodded, sincerely.

"What is there to be afraid of?"

"Hurting you." he breathed.

"But you wouldn't hurt me, Joe. I know you."

"I don't care, Nick. I'm scared. I don't want something, anything, to go wrong. I don't want to hurt you. I want this to be something we will remember for the rest of our lives. I'm scared that I'm going to ruin it."

"There is absolutely nothing you could do to make this experience unforgettable, Joseph. I trust you with my life. I have faith in you. I know you would never do anything to risk our life together." I stated, running a hand through his windblown hair.

"But what-" he started.

"I trust you." I said, placing my hands over his, that were still glued to my face.

"Okay." he sighed, slowly bringing his face closer to mine. He rested his forehead against mine, closing his eyes. He took three deep breaths before sinking his lips into mine.

"I love you, Nicholas." he breathed, after breaking the kiss.

"I love you too, Baby." I said, giving him one last peck on the cheek before picking up my bag again. Joe picked up his bag and then took a pair of keys out of his pocket. He inserted a small silver key into the lock, turning it. Joe took one deep breath before pushing the door open. We stepped in the doorway and we both dropped our bags at the scene before us. There was a small, but amazing kitchen to the left of the doorway. A large staircase sat right in front of us, leading up to a platform, surrounding two mahogany doors. And to our right was a huge open space that would normally hold a large fireplace, a large sofa and coffee table, two or more extravagant chairs, finishing it off with a large printed rug. But in this amazing room all that stood in it was a king sized bed, draped with white sheets and a white lace encasement, surrounding the bed and spiraling up to the high point of the ceiling. The one thing that looked like it belonged was the huge and detailed fireplace that sat to the right of the bed.

The back of the house was lined with floor to ceiling windows, with a set of French doors leading out onto a deck that looked out onto the other side of island, where the water crashed against the shore.

"Oh My God." I whispered, in utter shock. I looked over to Joe, who's mouth was wide open along with his eyes.

"I-I can't believe this." he finally spoke.

"Are you sure we are on the right island? Did we stumble upon one of Donald Trumps' islands?" I asked, staring at Joe's priceless expression.

"The key worked." he smiled.

"Oh My God." I repeated.

"Nick you're drooling." Joe exclaimed, breaking me free of my trance.

"Are you serious?" I asked, running a hand over my chin.

"No." Joe laughed, resulting in me punching him in the arm.

"I'm going to go take a shower, kay?" I asked, closing the front door.

"Alright." Joe nodded. I spotted a door in the back of the house, so I tried that one first. Sure enough, it was a bathroom. There was a huge shower that's capacity was probably fifteen people. I turned on the hot water and retrieved a white towel from the cabinet under the sink. I set the towel on the counter and then stripped down to my boxer-briefs. I ran a hand under the warm water before shedding my boxer-briefs and stepping into the roomy shower. I let the water run down my back for a good ten minutes before I tipped my head back, getting my hair completely wet. Then, there was a slight tap on the shower door.

"Nicholas?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, baby?" I answered, running my fingers through my hair.

"Is there room in there for me?"

"Of course." I chuckled. I stayed under the warm stream as Joe opened the shower door and stepped inside. My back was to him as I heard him walk up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his cold skin, causing me to gasp. I placed my hands over his and then bent my head back, resting it on his shoulder. Joe dipped his head and planted his lips at the base of my neck, sending a rush of contentment through my body. We stayed like this for a I don't know how long, Joe holding me against him, littering my neck with sweet kisses, before he turned me around. I pulled him under the warm water and ran my fingers through his hair. Then, locking my fingers behind his neck, I pulled him down, pressing his lips to mine. Joe placed his hands on the small of my back, pulling me close.

After about twenty minutes of probably the most intimate moment we've had together, the water started to get cold. A shiver ran down my spine and I broke our kiss, clinging to the heat that his body was radiating.

"Time to get out?" he husked.

"Uh huh." I shivered. I unwillingly let go of Joe's warm body and hurried out of the shower, grabbing my towel and quickly wrapping it around my shoulders. I unzipped my duffel bag that was lying on the bathroom floor and retrieved a clean pair of boxer-briefs. I carefully pulled them on, making sure I kept the towel wrapped around my shoulders. I had the ends of the towel in my mouth as I pulled my boxer-briefs over my hips and when I turned around Joe was looking at me with an amused look on his face.

"What?" I asked, the towel muffling my words.

"This is quite a sight." Joe chuckled, pulling on his boxer-briefs.

"Shut Up." I whined, through the towel.

"Not that it isn't sexy." he smirked. I could feel my cheeks start to burn as he stared at me.

"Well could you stop staring at my ass and help me? I'm cold." I asked, pulling the towel tight around me. Joe just smiled and walked up to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yup." I smiled. Then, Joe pressed his lips to my forehead, causing my eyes to flutter closed.

"How about now?" he whispered, pressing his forehead against mine.

"Much better." I breathed.

A few minutes later, I was lying across the end of the king size bed on my stomach. I stared into the flickering fire that illuminated the room, searching for sweet nothings. The down comforter surrounded my almost completely naked body and my wet curls hung in my eyes, obstructing some of my view from the room around me. Then, over the crackling of the fire, I could hear his footsteps growing closer. The skin of his feet slapping against the hardwood floor. My breath hitched in my throat as his ice cold hands met with the small of my back. Then, the bed shifted, bringing his legs in contact with my sides. His body came down on top of mine, pushing me further into the down comforter. Then, his lips were at my shoulder, lightly caressing the skin, causing strange shocks to shoot through my arm. His sweet touch moved up to my neck and then to my jaw line, sending all kinds of sparks to shoot throughout my writhing body. All the while, his hands ran up and down my sides, making me completely melt under his touch.

Why could he do these things to me? Was it because we knew we were completely alone? Was it because he knew how to drive me crazy? Or was it because I knew we were truly in love?

"Nick." he husked, his breath blowing on my sensitive neck. I moaned in return and Joe pressed his lips to my neck again.

"Nicky, baby." he breathed, causing another moan to roll from my throat.

"You are God's most beautiful creation." he whispered, turning me over. As I laid there on my back and looked up into those deep pools of brown eyes, I could feel the love radiating throughout the room, encasing us in a bubble that could never be penetrated.

Joe lifted a hand from the bed and ran it across my cheek, staring lovingly at me while he did so. I caught his hand before it left my face and pressed it into my cheek, the warmth of his hand relaxing me even more. I closed my eyes and leaned my head into his hand, releasing a content sigh. Then, I could feel Joe's breath blowing on my lips, making my cheeks burn. Within seconds of this sensation, his lips were pressed deep into mine. Not leaving the kiss, Joe slipped his hand behind my back, wrapping it around my waist. Then, he pulled me up and dragged my body up the bed until he gently placed my head down on the pillows. Joe removed his hand from my cheek and dragged it over the planes of my chest until it was gripping the waistband of my boxer-briefs. I involuntarily bucked my hips, causing Joe to grunt at the contact. Then, he started moving his lips down my body until they were planted at my waistline, caressing the skin.

"Joseph…stop…teasing me." I breathed. I felt him laugh into the kiss before he lifted his head and smiled at me.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he husked, playing with the waistband of my boxer-briefs.

"Yes." I nodded.

"Right now?" he asked, his forehead creasing.

"Do you?"

"I asked you first." he said, avoiding my eyes, staring at the fire beside us.

"Of course I want this, Joe. I want to finally be part of you, to be one with you." I said, sliding my hand down to one of his and pried it from my boxer-briefs. He took a deep breath and then interlaced his fingers with mine.

"O.k. I just had to be sure." he sighed, his gaze meeting mine again.

"But, you want this too, don't you?" I asked, squeezing his hand.

"More than anything." he smiled. "It's just that, I don't want you to hate me for doing something wrong. You know I've only done this once and never this intimate or special." he gulped. "I've been annoying you with all of these questions because I care about you. I want this to be perfect and I don't want you to be unsure."

"It means a lot to me that you care so much, Joe. I will never be unsure about how I feel about you, alright?"

"Kay. I love you."

"I love you too."

"More than air?" he smiled.

"More than air." I chuckled. "Now hurry up, you're driving me crazy!"

"Pushy, pushy." Joe shook his head, while releasing my hand and pulling down my boxer-briefs and throwing them beside the bed.

"Oh, you love it." I teased.

"Yea, yea I do." he laughed, standing up from the bed and shedding his boxer-briefs as well. He jumped back on the bed and laid down on top of me, causing me to press my painful erection into his core. Joe leaned up and pressed his lips to my forehead before sitting up and taking my hands in his, interlacing our fingers. Then, with a kiss to the back of my left hand and one swift movement, we were finally one single person. Long, desperate kisses were shared between us as our bodies moved together. Yes, it was painful but nothing is more painful than love. The love between us was stronger than the pain. The love between us could make the stars glow or even outshine the sun.

Our shining sun continued to glow for the remainder of the blissful night.

I could feel the warm sun shining in through the many windows as I came into consciousness. I could still feel the love radiating throughout the room as I realized that my aching body was wrapped tightly in the white sheets. My pained arms were circled around the warmth of Joe's body and his were resting around my shoulders. I opened my eyes to the diminishing fire in the large detailed fireplace. I lifted my head from Joe's damp chest and looked out the front windows, to the beach. The pure water was lightly crashing onto the white shore. A bright smile crept onto my lips as I slowly dropped my head back to Joe's chest. I gently rolled onto my stomach and leaned up, kissing Joe's eyelids.

"Baby?" I whispered.

"My sweet Joseph." I sang, dipping my head and pressing my lips to his neck.

"My Angel." I breathed into his ear. Then, his head slowly turned in my direction. His eyelids opened and revealed those deep brown eyes I fell in love with. A bashful smile caressed his lips as he tightened his grip on me. I leaned into him and pressed my lips to his cheek before relaxing my body and lying my head down on his chest.

"I have a gift for you, baby." Joe husked.

"What more could you give me?" I smiled.

"Well, I don't know if you'll like it. It's not something you would expect."

"I'm sure I'll love it."

"O.k. I can't wait. I need to give it to you now." he said, excitedly. Joe rolled us over and climbed off the bed. He pulled on his boxer-briefs before sprinting into the kitchen. Then he came running out of the kitchen with two small decoratively wrapped boxes. He sprung onto the bed and crawled next to me. He handed me a small square box with red wrapping paper and a green bow.

"What is this Christmas?" I chuckled.

"It's all the wrapping paper we had." he sighed, as I pulled off the bow. I looked at the box and then the bow and then smashed the bow into Joe's forehead.

"You're such a child." he laughed.

"Hey, you're giving me presents! I have to act like a child." I smiled, unwrapping the small box. When I pulled off the lid there was a purple guitar pick sitting in the bottom of the box.

"A guitar pick? Should this make sense?" I laughed, pulling out the pick and flashing it to Joe.

"I bought you a guitar, Nick." he said, with a huge toothy grin.

"You what?" I asked, shocked.

"So, do you like it? I couldn't bring the guitar without giving away the surprise."

"I love it but, why a guitar?"

"I don't know. I thought you might like it. You've always been the person to try new things, so I thought you might like to learn how to play guitar."

"Thank you." I breathed, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist.

"Wait, wait. You can't suffocate me yet." he said, rubbing my back.

"Why?" I asked, sitting up.

"Cause you have another to open." he smiled, holding out another red box in the palm of his hand. I gently picked it up and looked down at it.

"Why are you doing all this? I didn't get you anything." I said, apologetically.

"You've given me your love, Nick. That's all I need." I felt my hands start to sweat as I unwrapped the second little red box. When I pulled off the lid, there were two silver rings sitting on a red cloth. I quickly looked up at Joe and then back down at the box.

"Joe," my voice shook. I could feel the creases in my forehead deepen as I stared at the rings. "W-what did you do?"

"Remember a little while ago, when you told me you wanted what Kevin and Cindy had?" he asked, and I nodded my head in return.

"I wanted you to have everything you could normally have when you're in love. I knew how much it upset you when you realized there would be no rings involved, so I took it upon myself to get these to truly represent our love." he explained, running a hand through my curls. The tears were flooding my eyes but, I tried desperately to keep my dam strong. Joe took the box from my shaking hands and took out one silver ring.

"I also got them engraved." he said, handing me the ring. "This one is for you." he said, closing my hand around the symbolic ring. I slowly opened my hand and engraved on the inside of the ring was the single, most important word in my life: _Joseph._

My breath hitched in my throat as I quickly lifted my head to look at Joe. He smiled at me as I felt tears start to trickle down my cheeks.

"W-what does y-yours say?" I stuttered.

"My Angel." he whispered. I watched in shock as Joe pulled the ring from the box and revealed the small engraving to me. More tears fled down my cheeks as I slowly lifted my head and stared at a very smiley Joe. My very shaky hands found his and I slipped the ring into his hand.

"Put it on?" I asked. Joe's eyes sparked and he happily slid the ring onto my ring finger, placing his ring into my hand.

"Your turn." he beamed. I took hold of his left wrist and carefully slid the ring onto his finger, locking our promise forever. The moment was so overwhelming that I collapsed into Joe's waiting arms and buried my face into his chest, tears of joy caressing my cheeks.

The next four days were like heaven. We rode jet skis, explored the small island and had many of the same intimate nights together. But tomorrow was arriving too fast. We would have to leave this perfect island in less than 12 hours and we had to make this night worth while. Joe and I decided that tonight we would sleep outside on the beach, with the Pacific Ocean at our feet. As I sat on the sandy shore, staring at the gorgeous sunset, Joe was inside finishing some of our packing. But, just when I thought I might get lonely, I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist and a chin press into my shoulder.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he breathed, sending a chill down my spine.

"Yeah, I'm going to miss it." I said, placing my hands over his. I watched as Joe's legs stretched out beside me and then he pulled me back into his chest.

"I'm going to miss you." he whispered into my neck.

"I'm not leaving." I whispered back.

"But, this part of you is." he said, squeezing my waist. "I'm going to miss being this way with you." he finished by pressing his soft lips to my neck.

"I'm going to miss it too, baby." I sighed. Then, Joe pulled me down next to him, lying me on my back.

"What are you doing, Baby?" I asked, as Joe rolled over onto his side. "Making this last." he husked, before pressing his lips to mine. One of Joe's hands rested on my hip as his other was tangled in my hair. My hands gripped at his shirt, trying to pull him closer. Loving and passionate kisses were shared between us for the next hour before we were both too tired to continue. Joe rolled us over and I fell asleep, curled up against his chest with our legs entangled.

The ride home on the speed boat was longer than I expected. I spent the entire time with my arms wrapped around Joe's waist and one cheek pressed into his back. We docked the boat and took our time walking to Gavin's parked Escalade. Joe put our bags in the trunk while I stared off over the water from the passenger seat, trying to remember the entire week we spent on that glorious island. As Joe jumped into the front seat and turned on the car, our hands were quick to be intertwined. Before Joe pulled out of the parking lot, he brought my hand to his lips and kissed each one of my knuckles, staring deep into my eyes as he did so. Then, before I knew it, we were on the road back to Gavin's condo. I could tell Joe was a little resistant on the gas pedal, trying to stall. About three hours went by of the barren Arizona scene before we pulled onto Gavin's street. Joe took in a deep breath and I did the same, releasing them simultaneously. We weren't quite ready for our intimacy to be over but, we had to come back to reality soon enough. Just as we rounded the corner of Shafer street, we could see the flashing of red and blue lights along with the blaring of sirens.

"Oh Shit." Joe breathed, when we realized that the flashing lights and blaring sirens were coming from Gavin's driveway. Joe parked the car in front of Mr. Jenkins condo and we quickly got out of the car. We sprinted hand in hand to Gavin's driveway and stopped at the nearest policeman.

"What happened?" Joe asked, as I frantically looked around for Gavin, Jacob or Tommy.

"NICK!" Gavin screamed. I spun around and was quickly encased in a hug. I released Joe's hand and wrapped my arms around my friend.

"Gav, what is going on?" I asked, pulling out of our embrace. That's when I realized that Gavin was crying. His eyes were red, his forehead had deep creases and his cheeks were blotchy.

"They took everything, Nick." Gavin cried.

"Who's they?" I asked.

"I don't know but, they stole everything, Nick, everything." he whispered.

"Where are Jake and Tommy?" I asked and Gavin collapsed to his knees.

"Nick, what's wrong with him?" Joe asked, coming up next to me, as we watched in horror as Gavin started shaking. I knelt down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Gavin?"

"He Wanted To Go The Toy Store, Nick!" he yelled.

"Tommy?"

"I TOLD HIM NO!" he screamed, shaking out of control.

"Where is he, Gavin?" I asked, frantically.

"GONE! THEY'RE BOTH GONE!" he screamed. My breath hitched in my throat as I stood up and stumbled back into Joe.

"Gone?" I whispered, still not believing what I just heard.

"Mr. Chase?" a policeman asked, trying to help Gavin to his feet. "Mr. Chase, we need to ask you a few questions about Mr. Allen and Thomas Miller." he spoke. A blood curdling scream ripped through my throat as I collapsed in Joe's arms. I spun around and gripped his shirt as he tightly wrapped his arms around my waist, keeping me upright.

Hours later, after the police got our descriptions of Tommy and Jake, Joe and I were sitting in the middle of the hardwood floor in the living room. Gavin was down the hall searching for anything that the thieves may have missed. I still had tears rolling down my cheeks as I thought of my perfect and innocent son being kidnapped. I wondered if they hurt him or scared him, which made me cry even harder. Joe had been silent ever since Gavin told us Jake and Tommy were both gone. The only response I got from him was a kiss to the temple or a small hug.

"Nick?" Gavin asked and my head shot up in his direction. "I found this." he said, holding up Tommy's blanket.

"Fuck." Joe scoffed, dropping his head into his hands.

"C-can I have it?" I stuttered, my voice was hoarse from all my crying. Gavin walked up to me and dropped it into my outstretched hands. I brought the only thing I had left of my son to my face and took in a deep breath. I pressed the blanket to my cheek and let a few tears fall onto the blue fabric. I felt Joe wrap an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into him. I rolled onto my side and let my head fall into his lap, so I was lying down. Joe placed one hand over my stomach while the other stroked my hair. Joe leaned over until his face was inches from mine and I could feel his breath on my neck.

"We will find him, Baby, I promise." he whispered before pressing his lips to my cheek. I stared blankly at the only thing left in the condo, a flat screen television, as Joe tried to comfort me with sweet kisses.

"Nick?" Gavin asked, as he sat down in front of me.

"Hmm?" I answered.

"There was a note…addressed to you." he whispered.

"What?" I asked, shocked.

"Here." he said, placing the folded letter in front of me. I slowly sat up and picked up the letter, leaning into Joe. I looked up to him for reassurance and he gave me a nod. I unfolded the piece of paper and read the words from the sick thief who stole my precious son.

**Nicholas,**

**The time would come when I attacked the ones you love most. It's too bad I couldn't find the key to your heart. Your days are numbered young Nicholas so, I give you two options.**

**One- give me the key and you can have your beautiful son and Mr. Allen back.**

**Or**

**Two- keep the key and you will never see your son or Mr. Allen ever again.**

**You have four days to make your decision but, remember, I will be watching, pushing you towards option number one.**

**Sincerely,**

**R.R.**

I felt new tears of fear start to flow rapidly down my cheeks as I stared at the letter. Who would do such a cruel thing? I would never give my key to this sick bastard but, I had to find a way to save my family. I would never forgive myself if I let my son die along with my best friend. Joe's arms wrapped tightly around my waist as he read the note from over my shoulder.

"W-what's the key, Baby?" he asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Kay?" I said, refolding the note and setting it beside me.

"Of course I need to worry! This is my nephew we are talking about, Nick! Your Son!" he yelled.

"And my Jacob." Gavin whispered.

"But, I can't give him what he wants, Joe! I just can't!" I cried.

"So, you are willing to kill Tommy and Jacob to keep this so called 'key'?" he scoffed.

"No, but I can't loose my key either!"

"What's the key, Nick? Help me understand why you won't give it up." he said, stroking my cheek.

"It's…Joe, it's…" I strained. I couldn't tell him because he would give the key to the thief thinking it was for the best.

"What, Baby? What is it?" he pushed.

"I can't tell you." I sighed.

"Why not?"

"You would hate me, Joe. You would hate me for keeping it."

"I promise I won't hate you just, please tell me." he pleaded.

"The key…the…it's you, Joe." I sighed in defeat.

"Why wouldn't-" he started, but I cut him off by pressing my lips forcefully to his.

"Don't make me chose over you and them, Joe. I won't do it!" I said, pulling out of the kiss and wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Awe, how sweet." I heard an unfamiliar voice speak. I cringed into Joe and gripped the roots of his hair.

"G-Gav? W-was that you?" I asked, slightly shaking.

"N-no, Nick." his voice shook.

"Such a beautiful couple." the voice spoke again. I nuzzled my face into Joe's neck, hoping to block out the voice.

"B-B-B-" Joe stuttered, taking a deep breath. "B-Baby?"

"Hmm?" I asked, gripping myself tighter to him.

"D-Don't…don't turn around." he said, rubbing a hand up and down my back.

"Poor thing." the voice sighed. My insides churned and I pressed my nose into Joe's neck.

"W-who's saying that, J-Joe?" I shook.

"J-Just don't turn around." he stuttered. We sat in silence for a few minutes while my body started convulsing. I couldn't handle this.

"JAKE!" Gavin screamed, making me jump. "JACOB!" he screamed again.

"Oh my god." Joe whispered.

"W-what's happening, Joe." I asked but, he didn't answer.

"MY BABY!" Gavin screeched. I cringed further into Joe's body and pulled my hands to his chest, tightly gripping his shirt.

"Well, hey there, Buddy." the voice greeted someone. There was a small gasp and then my worst nightmare poured over my head.

"Daddy!" Tommy cheered. My breath hitched in my throat at his happy voice. I pressed my forehead into Joe's shoulder and took a deep breath.

"Is that really him?" I whispered.

"Y-yeah, Baby, it's him." Joe shook.

"Daddy?" Tommy whined, sending a chill down my spine. Then, Joe gasped, tightening his grip on my waist.

"Oh for God's sake," he breathed. Whatever was happening behind me, wherever my son was, whoever was speaking to us, however this happened, I tired to forget it all as Joe started shaking. His body started shaking violently against mine and his grip around my waist got weaker.

"Joey!" I heard a little girl gasp.

"Oh for God's sake, WHY?!" Joe yelled, burying his face into my shoulder. Joe was growing weaker by the second and whatever was happening behind me wasn't helping. So, I did my best to regain my composure, I had to help Joe and Gavin. I built up enough confidence to take a deep, fulfilling breath and slowly turn my head around. The plasma television was turned on. Two white, expressionless masks stared back at me from the other side of the screen, along with the faces of my precious son and a little girl I didn't recognize. I tore my gaze away from Tommy's happy face to see Gavin curled up on the floor, crying into his knees.

"Joseph? Who's the little girl?" I asked, returning my gaze to her bright face.

"J-Jillie." he shook. That name sounded so familiar but, it didn't register. I looked over her pure features, her brown hair, her oddly blue eyes and tan skin.

"Jillian Ray." Joe spoke again, this time, less struggled.

"Samantha Ray." he whispered, causing me to look at him. He raised his head to stare back at me, tears brimming his eyes. Joe opened his mouth to speak again but, couldn't find his voice. He squeezed his eyes shut, the tears breaking free. Then, it hit me. Jillian was Sam's daughter. Sam was one of Joe's best friends. Our best friends.

"Everyone's loosing, Nick." he whimpered.

"What?" I asked, glancing back at the two helpless children on the screen.

"Everyone we love is loosing. Gavin, Sam, You and Me." he breathed. "We're all loosing." he looked up again.

"W-Who's next? Kevin? Mom and Dad?" he asked, his lips quivering.

"My fucking God! Get over yourselves, you idiots!" the voice demanded. I spun around, staring back at the screen.

"You're not loosing anymore than you already have, alright?" the voice yelled, seeming to come from the mask on the right.

"Daddy?" Tommy cried. I watched as he cringed away from the right mask, wrapping his little arms around Jillian.

"All I want is the fucking key and you can have all these precious people back in your life!" the mask yelled, scaring Tommy even more. Then, the left mask bent down towards Tommy and Jillian. Two hands pushed them away from the screen and that's when I saw the reason for Gavin's earlier shrieks. There sitting in a wooden chair, roped, gagged and blindfolded, was Jacob. His head drooped downward while his hands fidgeted where they were restrained, behind the chair.

"Now, Nicholas, you wouldn't want anything to happen to poor Jacob, would you?" the mask taunted.

"N-Never." I managed to say.

"He's already been through enough and I don't want to hurt him anymore but, I'm going to need that key of yours."

"Y-You will never get my key." I said, staring angrily at the screen. The mask sighed and then stood up, walking towards Jacob. He grabbed a hand full of Jake's hair and yanked his head upright.

"Now, Nicholas. I know you can't be that unreasonable." he said, taking his other hand and placing it at the waistband of Jacob's jeans.

"Don't touch him!" I yelled, as the man undid Jacob's pant button and pulled down the zipper.

"Oh, sweet Nicholas. All you have to do is guarantee me that precious key." he said, gesturing to the second mask to help him. I watched as the mask stood up, revealing to me that his partner was a woman. She walked up behind Jacob and gripped his hair while the male took off his shirt and started to unzip his pants.

"Gavin?" Joe asked, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Yeah?" Gavin answered, his voice cracking.

"I want you to go outside, o.k.?"

"Why?" he asked.

"No Don't Look!" Joe yelled.

"Why Not?"

"Just don't." Joe breathed. As Joe tried to persuade Gavin to leave, I watched as the male unbuttoned Jacob's shirt and sat down on his lap.

"Joe, get him out of here." I whispered. Joe released my waist and stood up.

"Come On, Gav." I kept my eyes glued to the screen as I heard Gavin and Joe walk outside, leaving me with this awful scene before me. Jake started screaming, the gag muffling his shrieks. Then, the male dove his hand beneath the waistband of Jacob's pants, making him scream louder.

"STOP!" I yelled and the male whipped his head towards me.

"Are you saying I can have that key, Nicholas?" he taunted.

"N-No, just don't touch him." I pleaded.

"Would you rather I do this to Tommy?" he asked, cocking his head.

"NO! DON'T TOUCH HIM!" I screamed, making the male laugh. He got up from Jacob's lap and untied the ropes around his chest and legs. Then, he pushed Jacob from the chair, sending him face first into the floor. He grabbed Jacob by the hair and pulled him to his feet.

"Well, Nicholas, I guess you're forcing me to do this." he sighed, shoving a screaming Jacob away from the screen. Then, the woman came walking back to the screen and sat back down.

"W-What is he doing to Jake?" I shook. The white mask stared at me for the next few seconds before it shifted downwards. I could here a scratching noise and then she lifted a piece of paper to the screen. In big, black letters it read, **RAPE. **

"NO!" I screamed, dropping my head into my hands. I let my emotions explode, drowning myself in tears. Then, I heard a tapping noise. I lifted my head and the woman was tapping her index finger on the screen. She held up another piece of paper that read, **GET JOE. **

I slowly stood up, staring blankly at the black letters. The woman nodded twice and then I turned towards the sliding glass doors. Joe and Gavin were sitting on the steps of the deck. Joe ran his hand up and down Gavin's back as they stared off towards the mountains. Then, Joe turned around, making eye contact with me. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and a small smile spread across his lips. I waved at him to come inside and he quickly stood. He said something to Gavin before coming back though the doors. He kept intense eye contact with me until he locked me in an embrace.

"Come here." I said, pulling away from him and taking his hand, pulling him towards the center of the living room. I pointed up to the television where the woman sat, her expressionless white face staring at us.

"What, Nick?" Joe asked, tightening his grip on my hand. Then, the woman held up a piece of paper that read, **I LOVE YOU, JOE. **My breath hitched in my throat and my knees buckled. I fell to the floor, dragging Joe with me. We both stared up at the screen for I don't know long before the woman replaced the sign with a new one that read, **PLEASE DON'T HATE ME. I'M TAKING GOOD CARE OF TOMMY. **

"W-Who are you?" Joe asked. The woman dropped the paper and stared at us for five whole minutes until she dropped her head, scribbling something on a new sheet of paper. **YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE ME IF ****I TOLD YOU, **the paper read.

"Then show us." Joe demanded and the woman shook her head, no. "Do It, God Damn It!" he yelled. The woman brought her shaking hands to the sides of her mask. She slowly started to lift the mask from her face, making Joe grip my hand tighter. Then, the mask slid over her face and her blonde, wavy hair fell in front of her face. She set down the mask and brushed the hair away from her eyes, revealing the face of the one we trusted, the one we loved, the one we prayed for because her daughter was kidnapped. Samantha Ray was staring back at us.

* * *

**Oooh! Cliffy! Reviews would mean the world to me! Thanks.**

**~Sleek Blan~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Woo! Chapter 3! I'm sorry it took so long to post but, it's here! I thought it was time to slow down the chapters a bit and not make them so long, so this chapter is alot shorter. I will have chapter 4 up soon, I promise! -Love, Sleek Blan.**

* * *

Sleek Paradise

**Nick's POV**

"Sammy, why?" Joe asked, his voice cracking.

"Please, Joe, this isn't my fault, I-"

"I trusted you." Joe interrupted. I watched as tears started to fall from Sam's eyes, deep lines forming in her forehead.

"Joe-"

"HOW COULD YOU?" Joe yelled, making me cringe. "How could you take my trust in you and just throw it all away, Sam? You're one of the only true friends that I had. How could you use me like that?" Joe asked, tears beginning to trickle down his cheeks. I brought my hand to his cheek and gently brushed away his tears.

"There was nothing I could do." Sam whispered, refusing to look at us.

"What do you mean, there was nothing you could do? You couldn't prevent using me? You couldn't prevent stealing my best friend and my nephew? What, Sam?"

"I wasn't using you, Joe. I truly do love you." she answered, looking up at us again.

"Tell me, Sammy. Tell me why you did this." Joe said, pulling my hand that he was still gripping, into his lap.

"Richard is why I did this. He threatened my life if I didn't help him. He threatened to rape Jillian, Joe. I could never do that to her." Sam said, tears rapidly flowing from her eyes.

"He could have done that to anyone. Why you?" Joe pushed.

"I-I…he's Jillie's father." Sam breathed.

"What?" Joe and I asked.

"I went to a club one night, got more drunk than I should've and then I met Rick and things happened." she said, running a hand through her wavy hair.

"R-R-R-R-" I stuttered and Joe pulled my hand to his lips. "R-Rick?"

"Sssh, it's okay, Baby." he said, pressing his lips to the back of my hand.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"It's him, Joe. I know it's him." I whispered.

"No, Baby. It's not him, I promise." Joe said, running his other hand through my curls.

"Joe, what's wrong with Nick?" Sam asked again.

"Nothing, it's not important." he insisted, keeping his eyes on me.

"Joe, he's freaking out, I want to know." Sam pressed, as I started shaking. I hadn't thought about Rick since we got to Arizona and now all the memories were coming back.

"J-J-Joe, just tell h-her." I shook, squeezing his hand.

"Look, Sam. Nick and I were in that same situation that you were in, a few years ago. We both met a girl named Tanya and unknowingly had sex with her on the same night." Joe began, still keeping his gaze glued to me. "Nick ended up getting her pregnant and that's when Tommy came along."

"Joe?" Sam interrupted.

"Hang on, okay? I'm almost finished." Joe said and I looked up to see Sam nod.

"Tanya gave Tommy to Nick and left us alone for a couple years. But, one day Nick took Tommy to see her and found out she had a new boyfriend. His name is the same as the guy you're with." Joe explained, being generous enough to leave that awful man's name out of the conversation. "But, this is the part that I need to get to." he said, tearing his gaze from me and looking up to Sam, who's expression was unreadable.

"Okay." she nodded.

"Can I say it, Nicky?" Joe asked.

"Yeah." I whispered.

"When her boyfriend found out about Tommy, he killed Tanya. Not only did he kill her but, he killed her in front of us."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry." Sam breathed.

"Hold your apology." I said, squeezing tighter on Joe's hand.

"Sammy…he raped Nick the night he killed Tanya."

"What?" she gasped. I could feel the tears coming again. This was so hard to hear, I was reliving it as Joe spoke it. Every touch Rick gave me as he violated me. I could see Joe's face when Rick was so close to doing the same thing to him. But, another thing I could feel was the sensation of Joe's lips against mine for the first time.

"He got so close to raping me too but-"

"OH GOD, JOE! What Have I Done?" Sam yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Joe asked.

"Joey, the Rick that raped Nick, the Rick that killed Tanya…he brought Jillian into this world!" she cried.

"What? NO! No, Sam." Joe shook.

"I know he did! I've heard him talk about Tanya. He raped Jake, for god sake! It's the same guy and he wants you dead, Joe!" she sobbed, covering her eyes with her shaking hands. Joe quickly wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me into his chest.

"NO, SAM! HE'S IN JAIL!"

"He escaped, Joe. It has been all over the news for weeks."

"NO, SAMMY! NO, IT'S NOT HIM!" Joe screamed, pressing my head into his chest.

"Baby, this guy wants you dead, who else would it be?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"I promised to love and protect you, Nick. I won't let him do that to you again. It can't be him…it just can't." he said, kissing my forehead through my curls.

"Guys?" Sam asked, sounding rushed. "Guys, I have to go, Rick is coming back." I slowly turned in Joe's arms to see the television screen go black. Joe started rocking me back and forth, crying into my hair.

"I'm trying to be strong for you, Nick, I just can't be that knight in shining armor for you. I'm so sorry." Joe cried.

"Joey, you are my perfect knight. You have been so strong for me so, don't be afraid to cry sometimes. We are going through a hard time right now and I don't want you to feel like you have to be the strongest one. Be weak if you have to, you're only human." I said, desperately trying to reassure him.

"Thank you so much, Nick. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life. You're so perfect, it's insane. I always wonder if I'm dreaming this perfect life but, I haven't woken up yet. God, I just wish I could give you everything. I wish I could give you that marriage that you want. I wish I could bring Tommy and Jake back. I wish I could kill Rick so, you could be happy again." Joe cried.

"I am happy, Joe."

"You aren't right now and it's Rick's fault. That day when you came to me about coming to Arizona,"

"Yeah."

"You were so happy that we could have time to ourselves. That smile that could make the sun shine. I want to see you happy like that again." he said, pulling my face from his chest and staring deep into my eyes.

"I want you happy again. I want that smile to be present for the rest of our days. I want to be your knight again." he said, tears falling from both of our eyes.

"All of those things will be in our lives again, baby. I just can't promise you when." I whispered, bringing my hands to his cheeks and pulling him into a much needed kiss.

**3rd Person**

The next morning…

Joe shuffled into the kitchen, after three long hours of staring at the mountains on Gavin's deck. He grabbed a glass from a cupboard over the sink and turned on the tap. As he filled up his glass with ice cold water, he was unaware that Nick had walked into the kitchen, standing directly behind him. As Joe pulled the glass to his lips, he began to feel Nick's hot breath on his sensitive neck. He took a small sip from the glass before slowly turning around.

"Hey Baby." Joe greeted, confused at the hunger visible in the younger boys eyes. Nick brought a hand to Joe's hip as the older boy took another cautious sip of water.

"Baby, are you alright?" Joe asked as Nick's forehead molded into deep creases. Nick stared at his hand that was caressing Joe's hip. He didn't know what was making him do this, he was afraid that he might be frightening Joe but, lust was overtaking him.

"Baby?" Joe asked, redirecting Nick's attention. Nick looked over his lover's worried features before grabbing Joe's face and forcefully pressing his lips to Joe's. The shock of Nick's actions caused the glass of water to drop from Joe's fingers, shattering on the hardwood floor. Joe stood frozen as Nick forced his tongue into his mouth. When Joe had enough time to recover, he quickly brought his hands to Nick's chest and pushed the younger boy away. But, Nick was quick in grabbing Joe's wrists and shoving him into the counter.

"Nick st-" Joe started but, was cut off by Nick's lips again.

"Nick? Joe? Are you okay?" Gavin called, who had just walked in the front door with a bag of groceries. When he got no answer, he set the bag down in the entry and continued into the house.

"Guys?" he asked, turning into the kitchen. When he walked in to the now incestuous kitchen, Joe was desperately trying to push away from Nick's unexpected actions but, was failing.

"Oh…wow I'm sorry." Gavin said, turning to leave but, Joe's muffled screams stopped him. Joe was violently shaking against Nick and was attempting to shove Nick away with his hips, hoping that Gavin would understand. Gavin stared in confusion before Joe started stomping his foot into the floor. He rushed over to the two boys and wrapped his arms around Nick's waist, yanking him from his older brother. Joe gasped from the separation and collapsed to the floor, desperately trying to regain his breath. Meanwhile, Nick was fighting against Gavin's grasp, trying to get back to Joe.

"Let go of me, you Bastard!" Nick yelled. That was enough for Gavin, he gathered up all of his strength and wiped Nick around, slamming him into the refrigerator.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME!?" Gavin screamed.

"I called you a Bastard, you Dickhead!" Nick spat, still fighting to get away.

"I thought we were friends, Nick." Gavin whispered, as a tear raced down his cheek. Nick stopped fighting at his friends words and watched in horror as Gavin started crying. Nick collapsed to the floor, like Joe, and started shaking.

"W-what have I done?" he stuttered, dropping his head into his hands. He slowly ran his fingers through his curls before looking up to see Joe still breathing heavily, surrounded by broken glass.

"B-Baby?" Nick whispered, making Joe cringe. "Joseph?" he tried again.

"What Nick?" Joe answered, angrily.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. And, I didn't mean to call you those names, Gav. I'm sorry." Nick said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's just, all this drama is making me crazy. I just wanted something to hide everything." he continued.

"So, raping me was supposed to hide all this shit going on?" Joe yelled.

"I didn't rape you, Joe! I would never do that!" Nick protested.

"Oh yeah? What if Gavin didn't come home when he did, huh? How far would you have gone?"

"I wouldn't do that!" Nick insisted.

"Are you sure about that? You didn't seem to care that I was trying to get away from you, isn't that considered assault?" Joe spat.

"I WOULD NEVER DO THAT!" Nick yelled, shrinking into a mess of sobs.

"Yeah, sure you wouldn't." Joe said, standing up and walking up to his younger brother. "I thought this meant something to you, I guess I was wrong." he said, removing the sentimental ring from his left ring finger and dropping it into Nick's lap. He turned on his heel and headed towards the back door, completely ignoring Gavin's quiet plea to stop.

Nick cleared his eyes of his tears and looked down to his lap. As he stared at the small ring of silver, his eyes grew wide.

"JOE!" he screamed, scrambling to his feet. "JOE, NO DON'T!" he pleaded, running after his brother. Joe ran through Gavin's backyard, Nick close behind.

"JOE STOP!" Nick pleaded. They ran for a good five minutes before Joe had to stop. They had ran through seven different streets until Joe collapsed on the curb of Tiffany Avenue.

"JOE!" Nick yelled again. At the sound of Nick's voice, Joe was quick to his feet, trudging down Tiffany Avenue. Nick caught up with Joe and ran in front of him, stopping in his tracks and putting up his hands, stopping Joe.

"Get away from me, Nick." Joe spat, trying to pass him.

"Joe, please don't let this affect our relationship. It was just so much information for me to take in that I just lost control." Nick said, hoping Joe would listen. Joe stopped struggling and ran his hands through his hair, calming down.

"You scared me, Nick." Joe breathed. "I told you everything and I was scared that you were going to start taking advantage of me."

"I would never take advantage of you, Joe." Nick said, brushing his hand along Joe's right cheek. "I was just overwhelmed and I just wanted so much from you all at one time. I'm so sorry that I acted the way I did."

"I forgive you, Nick. Just please don't scare me like that again." Joe said, pulling Nick into a hug.

"I promise, it will never happen again." Nick sighed.

"I love you so much." Joe whispered.

"I love you too, Baby." Nick breathed. "Now, will you please put this back on?" he asked, pulling out of their tight embrace. Nick dove his hand into his pocket and pulled out Joe's silver ring.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry I took it off. I completely overreacted and-"

"It's okay." Nick interjected, handing the ring over to Joe, who quickly slipped it onto the appropriate finger.

"Will you still be my knight or did I ruin it?" Nick asked, biting his bottom lip.

"Of course I will still be your knight. I always will be." Joe smiled, grabbing Nick's cheeks and placing a kiss to Nick's forehead.

"Good." Nick blushed. Then, Joe's phone started vibrating in his pocket and he quickly answered it.

"Hey Gav, what's up?" Joe answered.

"Where'd you guys go?" he asked, worriedly.

"Umm…" Joe said, peering down the street. "We are on Tiffany Avenue."

"Joe, get back here! It's going to rain and I need you guys to help me bring in a new couch." Gavin said, starting to panic. Joe pulled Nick to his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"We're coming, Gav. Chill." Joe laughed, pulling Nick down the street.

"I'm sorry but, I don't like being here alone."

"You're fine, I promise." Joe said, pressing his lips to Nick's temple. There was a long silence, which Joe took advantage of, placing kisses on Nick's cheek.

"Joe, where are you?" Gavin asked again.

"GAV! We are still on Tiffany Avenue, chill out!" Joe yelled.

"Get off that road, Joe. I don't care if you have to walk through people's yards, just don't walk in the street." Gavin stressed, beginning to hyperventilate.

"Why?" Joe asked, pulling Nick tighter to his side, who slipped his hand into Joe's back pocket.

"Just don't walk on the road, okay?" Gavin breathed.

"FUCKERS! GET THE FUCK OFF OUR STREET, YOU FUCKING MAN WHORES!" someone screamed from behind Nick and Joe.

"Get Off The Street!" Gavin yelled, who heard the others scream. Joe spun around and threw Nick behind him, protecting him. A black SUV sped down Tiffany Avenue, towards them, two heads sticking out the windows. As Joe stood as tall as possible, he just prayed these people wouldn't try to hurt him. Then, as the SUV sped by them, a beer bottle came flying out the window and smashed into the concrete at Joe's feet.

"HOMOSEXUAL BASTARDS!" someone screamed again. Joe let out a sigh of relief as the SUV rounded the corner.

"Gav, it's okay. We're alright." Joe spoke back into his phone, wrapping his arm back around Nick's shoulders. Then came the screeching of tires against concrete and Joe knew what was coming next.

"NICK, RUN!" Joe yelled, slipping his arm from Nick's shoulders to grasp his hand. He sprinted off the street and into someone's yard.

"Joe, slow down!" Nick pleaded, who was tripping over his own feet.

"Come on, baby! You have to run!" Joe yelled, tugging on Nick's hand again.

Then, Nick's eyesight started to go blurry. The outline of Joe's body was vibrating and the colors of the scenery around him were mixing into a dark brown. Then, the scene vanished and he was running through New York City. His angel's body was glowing and a gold ring was hanging over his head, bouncing as he ran.

"Joey, don't run away from me! Stay with me!" Nick spoke, his words beginning to slur.

"Come on, Nicky. We're almost there." Joe encouraged, seeing Gavin's condo only fifty yards away. As Nick relived his nightmares, his eyes rolled back.

"J-os-eph!" Nick slurred, before his nightmare disappeared and his knees buckled, collapsing to the red sand in Gavin's backyard. Nick reentered his black abyss as Joe screamed for Gavin's help.

"Joe, what's happening?" Gavin yelled, sprinting out the back doors of his condo.

"HE'S HAVING A SEIZURE, HURRY!" Joe screamed, tears racing down his cheeks as he watched Nick's body violently convulse against the red sand.

* * *

**Reviews make me smile!! :)**

**Also, I understand that some of you don't get why I added the whole 'Nick raping Joe' thing but, I'm just showing you that the situation they are in is driving them crazy. Almost, animalistic. I'm sorry if I confused you but, it will all make sense soon, I promise!**

**~Sleek Blan~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four! This chapter isn't very long but, it's what I NEEDED to get to. I hope enjoy it and please leave reviews!!**

* * *

Sleek Paradise

**Gavin's POV**

I rolled off the air mattress around four o'clock when I heard weeping coming from the living room. I shuffled from my room and down the hallway as the weeping became louder. When I entered the living room, all I saw was Nick's sleeping form on the new sofa. I stared in confusion for a moment and then turned towards the entry to see Joe leaning against the door. Tears were cascading down his cheeks and he was gripping the door handle with one hand while the other gripped a piece of paper.

"Joseph?" I asked, cautiously taking a step towards him.

"I-I can't t-take seeing him like this any m-more." he sobbed, choking on his tears.

"Like what, Joe?" I asked, as calmly as possible.

"H-he's hurting and I can't t-take it."

"But, you're making it better for him." I nodded.

"He's still miserable." he breathed, squeezing his eyes shut.

"How do you know, Joe?"

"He's having seizures again. Everything is changing him and I don't want that. I want him to be Nick again."

"Joseph, you can't control when he has seizures."

"Yes I can." he demanded.

"No, Joe, it's just-"

"I CAN CONTROL IT!" he screamed.

"Joe, calm down." I said, striding towards him. I took his face in my hands as more tears fell from his eyes. "Calm down." I whispered.

"His seizures are from too much stress. I want to make this better." he breathed.

"Then, make it better, Joe." I said, wiping the tears from his cheeks.

"I have to go then." he said, spinning around and gripping the door handle.

"Wait." I said, grabbing his arm. "Where are you going to go? How are you going to make this better?"

"I-I have to find Rick. I have to give myself up or this won't get better for Nick." he said, looking back at the sleeping boy.

"Leaving him won't fix this, Joe."

"It's all I can do. Maybe if I bring Tommy and Jake back he'll be happy again."

"How could you say that? You make him more happy than anything or anyone could. Do you know how much you will destroy him if you go?"

"It's all I can do." he whispered, turning his gaze to the floor at his feet.

"You don't have to do this, Joe. The FBI will handle it. I already got Sam to give me the address and now all we have to do is wait."

"Y-you got the address? What is it?"

"Joe, I can't give it to you. Rick will kill you if you go."

"But, he'll let Tommy and Jake go. If the FBI go, all Rick will do is kill Tommy and Jake. I can't do that to either of you so, that's why I have to do this." Joe explained, staring straight into my eyes.

"Joe,"

"Just let me do it." he interrupted. "Please, Gavin. I have to do this for Nick." we stared at each other for a good five minutes before I ran into the kitchen, grabbed a sticky note and scribbled down the address, **1751 Tiffany Avenue. **

I ran back to Joe and placed it in his hand, gripping it tightly before releasing it. He looked down at his hand and then quickly looked up to me.

"Tiffany Avenue?" he breathed. "W-we were so close."

"I know." I nodded, tears beginning to fall from my eyes.

"Oh my God." he whispered.

"Please be safe, Joe."

"I can't guarantee that."

"Just try. Try to be safe for Nick." I cried.

"Don't say that, Gavin." he said, his lips quivering.

"Why not?"

"Because I may never come back." he whispered, new tears filling his eyes. I couldn't take this any longer, I lunged at Joe, wrapping him in a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry, Joe. I'm so sorry it had to be like this." I cried, gripping the roots of his hair.

"Please, Gavin. Just, please promise me you'll take care of Nick." he said, tightening his grip on my waist.

"I promise." I breathed, releasing from our embrace. Joe looked down at his shaking hand that was gripping a piece of paper.

"Will you give this to him?" he asked, holding the paper out to me.

"Of course." I nodded, taking it from his trembling hand.

"An-And tell him I love him?" he cried, his voice cracking.

"Everyday."

"Thank you, Gavin. You're the best friend I could ever ask for." he said, pulling me into another tight embrace before pulling from the hug and opening the door. He took a deep breath before turning to me again.

"I love you, Gavin. Goodbye." he smiled. I opened my mouth to speak but, he was already gone. More tears fell from my eyes as I turned to see Nick still sleeping peacefully on the couch. So innocent and unaware. I slowly walked towards him, gripping the paper from Joe tightly in my hand. I gently placed the paper next to him and then ran a hand through his curls, hoping he would stay in his precious dreamland. Then, I laid down next to the couch, taking Nick's hand in mine, drifting off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

**How was it? The next chapter will be coming very soon. Review please!**

**~Sleek Blan~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5, Baby! I'm excited, are you? I hope you enjoy it! Review please!**

* * *

Sleek Paradise

**My Dearest Nicholas,**

**My love for you is ultimately stronger than the force trying to drive us apart. But, sometimes, leaving the one you love is for the best and that is where we're standing. This force may be making us stronger but, it's also putting a tension on our relationship. I understand that you may not agree with my decision or my intentions but, this is what I think is best. **

**My hopes are to come back to you with the remainder of our family but, if I end up in a higher place, remember that we will be together soon. Please, don't tie yourself to me with tears. Remember me through our love and devotion. Stay strong for Tommy no matter how difficult it may be. If you ever need me, just call my name and I will be with you. I may not be able to touch you but, you will feel me. I will always be with you, even after the day that you join me in that higher place.**

**I'm doing this for you, my sweet angel. May my rusted armor shine again, as I strive to be that victorious knight. I love you more than air.**

**Forever and Always,**

**Your Angelic Joseph**

I tightened my grip around the waist of the trembling boy beside me. I read every word of the note as his eyes skimmed the page. He brought his fingers to the words 'I love you more than air', as if he could feel Joe's love in the words. Tears were flowing down his cheeks, dampening the crumbled paper in his hands. Nick leaned into my side, resting his head on my shoulder, occasionally choking on his tears.

"Gavin?" he whined.

"Yes, Nicky?" I answered, rubbing his side.

"Do you think he'll come back?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"Joe's strong, Nicky. I'm sure he will be back soon." I said, not sure if I believed the words that were escaping my lips.

"B-But, what if he…if he…if…" he struggled.

"What, Nick?" I asked. I knew what he was trying to say. It may have been awful of me to make him say it but, he had to accept it if it did happen.

"What if he d-dies?" he whispered, cringing into me.

"H-he…he won't…I don't know, Nick." I sighed. I really had no idea what would happen if Joe was taken from us. I didn't know what would happen to Nick and that's one reason I was utterly worried.

"He loves you, Nick. I know he's going to do everything he can come back home." I said, burying my face in his curls.

"Gavin," he cringed again. "I'm so scared."

"I know, Nicky. I'm scared too but, all we can do is hope and pray that he'll be okay."

Nick shifted beside me and I lifted my head to see what he was doing. He had a purple guitar pick between the thumb and pointer finger of each of his hands, stroking the purple plastic. Tears were still falling from his eyes but, at a slower pace now.

"What's that, Nick?" I asked, moving my hand from around his waist to his knee.

"Joe gave it to me when we were on the island. He said he bought me a guitar." he said, wiping his cheek with his forearm.

"Wow. That was incredibly sweet of him." I smiled, hoping to cheer him up.

"It's all I have left." he whispered. "Other than my ring, it's all I have until I go back home."

"Nick," I sighed. "He'll come back."

"How do you know, Gavin? How do you know Rick won't just kill him when he arrives, satisfying his wants and destroying my life?" Nick asked, more confidently than I ever expected him to.

"I don't know, Nick. But, from his letter and what he told me before he left, I know he will do anything to be with you again." I explained, squeezing his knee.

**Jacob's POV**

I slummed in the wooden chair, my speech, sight and mobility robbed of me. The only clothing I had left were my briefs and jeans. Someone ran a hand through my hair, making me flinch.

"Shh, Jake, it's okay." Sam whispered, her voice relaxing me. I don't know if I could have gotten through this hell without her. I was raped from the first day I got here to day four, today. Sam pulled down on the blindfold and pulled the gag from my mouth, letting them fall around my neck. I looked up into her blue eyes and then looked back to the floor.

"This is so awful." I husked.

"I know, honey." she sighed, brushing her hand across my cheek.

"When do I get to go home?" I asked, hoping she'd say sometime soon.

"I don't know, sweet heart."

"Okay." I whispered. Then, I shifted in the chair, inhaling sharply as a pain shot through my lower back, sending pain to my forehead as well.

"Here, take these, honey." Sam said. I looked up and she was holding two white pills in the palm of her hand. "It will make the pain easier to bare." I opened my mouth and she plopped the pills in. She brought a glass of water to my lips and I swallowed the pills along with the refreshing water.

"Thank you so much, Sam." I said, attempting to smile.

"Don't thank me. This is something I have to do."

"What?" I asked.

"I'm doing this for you but, I'm also doing it for Nick, Joe and Gavin." she smiled.

"Gavin?" I repeated, my voice cracking. I had tried not to think about him, knowing I would most likely break down if I did.

"I'll be sure to get you back to him soon." she nodded, with a serious tone. Then, I heard Tommy shriek, making me jump. Sam quickly pulled up the gag but, left the blindfold around my neck. She sprinted across the room and hid the bottle of pills before running to the chairs near the computer.

"Sammy?" came one of the voices I had been dying to hear. I looked to Sam and she began to cry. Tommy came running into the room with the biggest smile on his face.

"JOEY!" he shrieked, before Joe's slim form came walking cautiously into the room. He fell to his knees in front of Tommy, who jumped in his arms. He pressed Tommy's head to his shoulder and closed his eyes, enjoying their hug. After a minute of hugging, Joe opened his eyes and looked up, making eye contact with me.

"Jake?" he asked, as he stood. I made a noise to confirm that it was me and he came running. He pulled the gag from my mouth and then dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing his face to my chest. I bent over in the chair and rested my head on his shoulder, not realizing how much I had missed him, until now.

"I'm so sorry all of this had to happen to you, Jake." he said, rubbing my back.

"Joseph?" Sam asked. I straightened up to see that Sam was standing beside me. Joe pulled himself into a standing position and stared at her, shock and happiness in his eyes. Sam opened her arms and Joe lunged at her, picking her up around the waist and spinning her around. When he set her back on her feet, he wrapped his arms around her neck and stroked her hair.

"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Sammy." he breathed, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Why are you doing this, Joe?" Sam asked, shocking both me and Joe.

"What?" Joe asked, pulling out of their hug.

"You're willing to destroy Nick, devastate Tommy and completely ruin your family and friends lives! What the hell is wrong with you?" she spat, causing Joe to stumble a foot backwards.

"Why aren't you happy to see me, Sam? I built up the strength to come and save my family and you scream at me?"

"He's going to kill you, Joe! Does that mean absolutely nothing to you?" she asked, tears falling from her eyes.

"Apparently not." Rick spoke, making all of us jump. He came gliding into the room, the most disgusting smile upon his lips. "It's wonderful to see you again, my sweet Joseph." he smirked.

"God, I'm not ready for this." I heard Joe whisper.

"Sam! Untie the boy." Rick demanded, pointing to me but, keeping his eyes glued to Joe. Sam came quickly to my side, untying the ropes as fast as she could. Tears were rapidly falling from her eyes as she fumbled with the ropes around my legs. When she finished I jumped from the chair and pulled her up, wrapping her in a hug. Her arms weakly wrapped around my waist as she cried into my shoulder.

"I'm quite impressed with your heartlessness, Joseph. Leaving Nick to save Jake and Tommy, just to be killed in the end. I applaud you." Rick said, clapping his hands.

"Oh, Sammy?" Rick cooed.

"Y-yes?" she shook.

"Would you take the nice boy and little Tommy to the door please?" Rick said, as he reached behind his back, pulling a gun from his belt.

"U-Uh huh-h." she nodded, taking my hand and leading me towards the front of the room, away from Joe and Rick.

"Sam, what are you doing? We can't leave him." I whispered, as Sam tried to shield her eyes.

"W-We can't do anything." she cried.

"Yes we can. He's my best friend, Sam. He's in love. Are you willing to destroy four helpless lives?"

"N-No, it's just, there's no way we can change how this ends. Joe is going to d-die." she shook.

"Joe isn't heartless, Sam. He came here so Nick could be happy."

"How do you know that, huh?"

"I know who he is, Sam. I know he loves Nick more than anything and this is what I would do for Gavin." I said, tears falling from my eyes now.

"But-"

"Go ahead, Sam. Be responsible for removing not only a friend but, a lover, brother, uncle and son from this world. Be responsible for shattering Nick's heart. Be responsible for scarring Tommy because he is going to watch his uncle die on the other side of this room. Be responsible for ridding his parents a son because you were heartless enough to let Rick kill him. Be responsible-"

"Okay." she stopped me. But, Joe's cries distracted both of us and we both drew our attention to the other side of the room.

"Please, Rick. I thought I could do this but, I can't. Just let me live and I will move Nick and myself to Antarctica or China just, please don't do this." Joe sobbed.

"Oh silly boy," Rick chuckled. "If only it were that easy." he said, as he ran a finger across Joe's wet cheek.

"Please, I'll give you anything just, let me go home. Let me be with my family again." Joe said, his body shaking.

"But, your death is the only thing I'm gambling with. Nick ruined my life, so I'm ruining his." Rick shrugged. "Why not kill Nick? Well, I want him to live through this hell. I want him to experience what it's like to have nothing anymore. I want him to suffer like he made me suffer. If killing you means killing him in the future then, I'm doing exactly what I planned."

"How did Nick ruin your life? You killed Tanya. You raped Nick. You took his family away. You took his fucking happiness away and so help me God I should take that gun and kill you for all the fucking pain you've caused him." Joe said, rage filling his eyes.

"Well, well, Joseph. Quite the anger we've been bottling up, haven't we?" Rick teased, tightening his grip on the gun. I went to look back at Sam but, she was no longer standing beside me. I looked back to Joe and Rick and saw Sam standing only a few feet behind Rick.

"Any last words, Joseph?" Rick asked.

"Jake? Tell Nick I love him, please?" Joe asked, tilting his head back and closing his eyes.

"Of course, Joe. I love you, man." I answered.

"Just get this over with, Rick." Joe said, tears rapidly falling from his eyes.

"Oh how great is this day?" Rick asked, squeezing the trigger and piercing our ears with the high pitched gun shot. Joe shrieked and collapsed to the floor.

"JOEY!" Tommy screamed, hugging himself tight to my leg. Then, I realized, Rick was on the ground as well. I looked back to Joe and blood was pouring from his chest instead of his forehead, where Rick had aimed the gun. Sam had pushed Rick out of the way, redirecting the shot. Then, Rick pushed Sam to the floor and jumped to his feet, pointing the gun at her.

"You stupid whore! Let's see how Jillian likes living with her father for the rest of her life!" he spat, as Sam tried to crawl away from him. Then, another gun shot was heard, but this time, it came from behind me. I slowly turned around and to my utter surprise, Mr. Jenkins was standing there, gun at the ready. I looked back to see Rick lying motionless on the floor, blood pouring from the side of his head.

My vision began to blur as everything that just happened began to sink in. My mind couldn't take the stress of these events so, my knees buckled. As my senses slowly left me, I felt someone breath into my ear,

"It's okay, Jake. It's all okay." Sam whispered, before I slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Reviews mean the World! The next chapter will be coming soon!**

**~Sleek Blan~**

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

Sleek Paradise

**Nick's POV**

The next morning, I was sitting on the couch, my head in my hands and silent tears falling from my eyes. I hadn't slept all night because I couldn't stop thinking about Joe and what could be happening to him. I would never understand why he left.

"Nick?" Gavin asked, as I heard him walk in from the kitchen.

"Yeah, Gav?" I rasped, my voice cracking.

"Do you want some cereal?" he asked. I looked up and he was holding two, yellow cereal bowls.

"No thanks," I shook my head. "I-I'm not hungry."

"Come on, Nick." he sighed. "You haven't eaten in over twenty-four hours."

"I'm just not hungry." I insisted, returning my head to my hands.

"Nick, I don't want you to have another seizure." he sighed, setting the bowl on the floor and sitting down next to me.

"Eating doesn't effect that."

"I don't care. You're more stressed than you should be and eating might help."

"May-Maybe later." I said, running my hands through my hair.

"Nick," he sighed. "I know how hard this is for you. I mean, Jake's gone and it has really taken a toll on me too but, I need you to try and get through this. Starving yourself or getting sick isn't the way to fix this." he explained, wrapping an arm around my waist.

"But Jake didn't leave on his own, he was taken. Joe chose to leave, before I even woke up."

"He wanted to make it easier for the both of you."

"Easier? I didn't even get to say goodbye, Gavin. I didn't even get to say I love you or kiss him. I can't go through life, if he dies, and my last memory of him is running away from people who hate us." I said, new tears falling from my eyes.

"Nick, you don't get it. Yesterday was the last day to decide. He couldn't wait until you woke up. He wouldn't have been able to leave you if he waited. For God sake, he was sobbing when he first tried to leave."

"The first time?"

"I came in to check on you and I see Joe standing up against the door, staring at you, crying his eyes out. Nick, you don't know how much he sacrificed for you. He went against what he wanted and did what he thought was right." Gavin said, resulting in more tears falling from my eyes.

"Gavin," I cringed. "I need him."

"I know, Nicky." he said, setting down his bowl and wrapping both of his arms around me. I buried my face in his chest and continued to choke on my sobs.

"Why did I have to have that God damn seizure? Why did he have to give me the ring? Why did we even come here? WHY DO I HAVE TO LOVE HIM SO FUCKING MUCH?" I cried, Gavin tightening his grip around me.

"Nick, Nicky stop." he said, stroking my hair. I quickly pulled out of our embrace and stared at Gavin through my tears.

"Why?" I whispered, turning my gaze away from Gavin's strained features to look down at my hands. I took my right hand and used it to pull the silver ring from my left ring finger. I turned it until I found the most important word in my life: _Joseph._

"Why, Joe?" I asked. Then, I looked back to Gavin and tears were rapidly falling from his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Nick." he cried. "I'm so sorry that all of this had to happen." he said, pulling me into yet another hug. As my arms wrapped around his waist, I slid my ring back onto my finger, taking in a deep and shaky breath. Then, the door bell rang. We pulled out of our hug and Gavin wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"I'll get it, just stay here." he said, standing up and shuffling to the door. I watched as he wiped his eyes one last time before opening the door. Gavin gasped at whoever was standing outside. I strained to see who it was but, I couldn't see them. Then, the next thing I know, the person is in Gavin's arms, their legs wrapped around his waist and their arms around his neck. I carefully stood up and took a few steps before I lost my balance and fell back on the couch. I tried again and successfully made it half way across the room before the person's lips were attached to Gavin's, smothering him in a kiss. I stumbled back a few feet and my head began to spin. It was Jake.

"Oh God." I whispered. "This is it, Nick." I spoke to myself, closing my eyes.

"He's right outside that door, waiting for you." I spoke, my hands clenching into tight fists. "This is it." I reopened my eyes and strode towards the door. Love and determination was shooting through my veins as I advanced on the door. I whimpered as I walked out the door, hoping to be in Joe's arms. But, the only thing I felt was a gust of wind. There were no warm arms around me, no kiss, no 'I'll never leave you again, I love you so much.' There was just the wind. My breath hitched in my throat and tears brimmed my eyes again. My stomach began to churn as I stared at the black SUV in the driveway. I would have given anything to see Joe open one of those doors.

Then, the drivers door opened and a lump began to form in my throat and hope surged through my veins. But, when I saw Sam get out of the car, the biggest weight came crashing down on me. I watched as she walked around the car and opened the door to the back seat. Then, the next thing I knew, my beautiful son was running towards me with a huge smile on his face.

"DADDY!" he screamed. I tore myself from the porch and ran to him, picking him up and holding him tight to my chest.

"I missed you so much, Tommy." I whispered before I pressed my lips to his forehead. Then, Tommy gasped and spun around in my arms.

"Joey!" he cheered and my eyes snapped shut. "Joey?" he whined before gripping my shirt and nuzzling my neck.

"No," I said. "No, he has to be there." I opened my eyes to see Sam, walking towards me with a smile bright on her lips but, it didn't reach her eyes. Joe was no where in sight and that's when the weight pressed harder on my shoulders making me collapse to my knees.

"Nick!" Sam gasped, running to me. "Nick, are you okay?"

"Where is he?" I whispered, staring blankly at the SUV.

"Nick…" she sighed.

"Where is he, Sam?" I asked a bit louder.

"Nick, I can't…I don't…" she strained.

"He's dead?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"Nick, No! No, he's not dead. He's at the hospital." she rushed, dropping to her knees in front of me and taking my face in her hands.

"For God sake, Nick, he's not dead." she said, staring me straight in the eye.

"H-He's not?"

"No, Nick. Joe's alive." she smiled.

"Oh My God." I whispered, tears of pure joy filling my eyes as I hugged Tommy tighter.

"But, Nick…" she began, her face dropping again.

"What?"

"He's not doing well," that's when my heart sank. "Rick shot him in the chest and the paramedics were struggling to keep him breathing in the ambulance."

"No." was all I could say.

"Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?" she asked but, I was already standing, running to the car. I quickly put Tommy in his car seat and jumped in the passenger seat.

"C-could you drive a little faster?" I asked, while we were on the highway.

"Nick, I'm already going eighty-five. We'll get there."

"Okay." I nodded, gripping my knees. I stared at the bright green clock on the radio, wishing when every minute passed that I could be with Joe.

"We're almost there, Nick." Sam said, causing me to grip my knees tighter.

"Nick," Sam gasped. "Your hands!" I turned my gaze to my bone white hands and quickly released my knees. I looked to Sam and she had a shocked and worried look on her face. Then, she looked to me as tears began to fall from her eyes.

"G-give me your hand, Nick." she said, removing one hand from the steering wheel and holding it out in front of me. I quickly grabbed her hand and she squeezed it tight.

"I'm sorry about everything, Nick." she cried.

"Don't apologize, please." I pleaded. "I just makes it worse."

"Okay." she whispered.

"I can't go in with you." she said as we pulled up to Phoenix Hospital.

"Please, Sam. I need you to come." I pleaded, squeezing her hand.

"No, I can't. I can't see him like that."

"Please, I need someone with me."

"No, Nick."

"Please."

"NICK!" she yelled. "I don't know why or how but, I know you're in love with him and I know he's in love with you. I won't be able to stand there and pretend not to be in love with him too. I won't be able to watch you kiss him when he wakes up. And, if God for bid he were to leave us, I won't be able to watch you shatter into a million pieces at his side." she cried.

"Sam," I began.

"No, Nick. Just go." she said, pulling her hand away from mine. I quickly got out of the car and before I could say anything, she sped off. I knew I wouldn't be able to go through this alone but, I needed to be here. So, I spun around and sprinted through the hospital doors, hoping that Joe would be strong enough to pull through.

* * *

**Reviews mean the world! The next chapter will be up very soon!**

**~Sleek Blan~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Two updates in one day! Yay! I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

* * *

Sleek Paradise

**Nick's POV**

The silence of the room was deafening. The warm hand sandwiched between mine kept me safe. And, the staccato beeping of the machine beside him kept me sane.

_Why did this have to happen to him? Why was he so stupid, thinking it would be so easy? Did he even think about what he was getting himself into? Why does he have to suffer like this? Why should God punish him?_

I pulled his warm hand to my face, resting the palm against my cheek. I placed the palm of my hand on the back of his, pushing my fingers between his. My other shaking hand ran up and down his arm, carefully avoiding the IV poking his vein. Oh how I wanted his eyes to be open. Those big brown pools of joy staring back at me. I wanted to know that he truly was okay but, the doctors said I had to wait, that waking him could possibly hurt him more. I brought his limp hand to my face again, opening it and pressing his middle finger to my lips. Then, I moved to his ring finger, lightly brushing my lips against the pad, moving down to the pinky. I finally let the tears begin to fall as I pressed the back of his hand to my cheek, gripping his fingers tightly in my still trembling hands. Not once did I take my eyes off his precious, angelic face, that is, until the line on his heart monitor went flat.

Everything was a blur from then on. When the doctors pulled me away from him, when they counted down before pressing the cold metal to his bare chest, when tears poured from my eyes, when the cold metal was in contact with his skin again, it all went by so fast.

"Nicholas?" the doctor asked, slowing down time. I was now sitting on the floor of the hospital room, my back pressed against the wall.

"We revived him, Nicholas, it's okay." he continued, holding a hand out to me. Both of my shaking hands grabbed his and he pulled me to my feet.

"We need to feed a tube into Joseph's lungs. He's bleeding into his lungs and it's complicating his breathing. Would you please-"

"I'm not leaving." I interrupted.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not leaving him." I repeated, before walking up to the bed. I looked up to his still tightly closed eyes and then down to his hand. The ring was still wrapped around his ring finger, it brought a smile to my face. I brushed my fingers against his knuckles and then looked back at the doctor.

"You can touch him." he nodded with a smile. I looked back to Joe and then picked up his limp hand, bringing it to my face. Then, the doctor appeared on the opposite side of the bed, rubber gloves on his hands.

"Are you sure you want to stay?" he asked, grabbing a clear tube from a tray beside the bed.

"I'm sure." I answered, keeping my gaze on Joe.

"You really love him, don't you?" the doctor asked as I cringed away when he stuck a large metal object down Joe's throat.

"More than you would understand." I cringed again as I heard him shove the tube down Joe's throat and then pulled out the metal object.

"You can look now, I'm finished." the doctor said, walking away from the bed.

"Doctor?" I asked, looking back to Joe.

"Yes, Nicholas?"

"Do you know what happened to him?"

"You don't know?" he sounded shocked and I just shook my head in return.

"He was shot." he said, as I looked down to Joe's still bare chest. There was a large bullet wound directly in the middle of his chest.

"Nothing else?" I cringed.

"What do you mean?" he asked, walking up next to me and placing a hand on my back.

"He wasn't…raped or anything?"

"No, Nick. We didn't find any fluids."

"Okay." I whispered, lifting Joe's hand again.

"Huh, it looks like the nurse missed his ring." the doctor said, moving to grab the silver ring from Joe's finger but, I grabbed the doctor's wrist.

"Nicholas, let go." the doctor demanded, trying to pull away.

"Leave the ring." I said, staring the doctor straight in the eye.

"We need to take off all of his jewelry, Nicholas." he said, yanking his hand from my grasp.

"I said, Leave It!" I spoke a bit louder.

"Nick, I need to take it off."

"Don't Touch Him!" I yelled, gripping Joe's hand tighter.

"I think you need to leave." the doctor said, grabbing my arm.

"NO! I'm staying here." I yelled, ripping away from the doctor and laying down across Joe's chest.

"Nicholas, get off him! You're going to hurt him!" he yelled, grabbing my shoulders.

"Let Me Stay!" I yelled, gripping Joe's hospital gown. I heard the doctor sigh and then he left the room, closing the door.

A few minutes later, I felt something start to rub my lower back, so I squeezed my eyes shut and gripped Joe's gown tighter. Then, fingers were slowly running through my hair. The fingers moved from my hair to my arm, then back to my hair again. Then, I realized that Joe's heart monitor was beeping faster so, I quickly lifted my head and those big brown pools of joy were staring back at me.

* * *

**He lives!!! Please Review!**

**~Sleek Blan~**


	8. Chapter 8

Sleek Paradise

**Nick's POV **

"Oh thank you, God." I breathed, gently gripping his shoulders and nuzzling my face into his neck while tears poured from my eyes. I felt him slowly wrap his arms around my shoulders, gripping the fabric of my shirt between his fingers.

I don't know how long we stayed in our embrace until I slowly pulled back, staring through my cloudy eyes down at him. Silent tears fell from his eyes while a bright smile caressed his lips. I brought a trembling hand to his wet cheek, running my fingers over his warm flesh. He grabbed my wrist before my fingers left his cheek and he pressed my hand back to his skin, closing his eyes. I leaned close to him and gently pressed my lips to the corner of his mouth, something I had been too afraid to do a few hours ago. When I pulled away, his eyes were wide and his smile was even brighter. Then, his weak hand dragged mine from his cheek, down his neck and let it rest over his heart. He closed his eyes again and brought his other hand to rest on top of mine as well.

Then, I heard the door slam into the wall behind me. Joe's eyes were immediately open and his smile diminished. I turned my head to see two security officers standing behind Joe's doctor and outside the window I could see three nurses waiting patiently to enter the room. Joe's hands gripped mine as tightly as he could and his heart rate began to gain speed.

"Get him out of here." the doctor spoke, pointing to me. He stepped into the room and the security officers charged towards me. They took each of my arms and one officer pried Joe's hands off of mine.

"NO!" I screamed, trying to fight my way back to Joe, who was reaching his arms towards me. His features were strained and tears fell from his eyes as the officers dragged me away. Joe began to heave for breaths and his heart monitor started beeping.

"NO! He Needs Me!" I yelled, fighting with all of my strength to be released of the strong hands that gripped my arms. The nurses rushed into the room and pushed Joe down on the bed, holding his arms to his sides but, he still kept his eyes on me. He wasn't strong enough to fight back but, if he was, I'm positive he would be kicking and screaming.

Before the officers could pull me out the door, I ripped away from them and ran to Joe's bedside. I pushed the nurses out of the way and took Joe's hands, pulling them close to my face. I felt the officers hands on my shoulders and I quickly closed my eyes, gripping Joe's hands tighter.

"WAIT!" the doctor yelled. I slowly opened my eyes and looked into Joe's worried ones. His breathing had slowed and became more even, stopping the obnoxious beeping of his heart monitor.

"He really does need him." the doctor breathed. I sighed with relief and felt the officers hands remove from my shoulders. I looked down at Joe and mouthed the words 'I love you', bringing the smile back to his lips.

"Alright, we can ask Joseph questions later. Let's give these boys some space." the doctor announced, walking up beside me and patting my shoulder.

"You're very lucky to have him, Joseph." he said, bringing a shy heat to my cheeks. I watched as Joe nodded very confidently and squeezed my hands.

"Let me know if you need anything." he finished, patting me on the shoulder one last time before walking from the room. I smiled down at my knight before releasing his hands, moving across the room and pulling a chair beside the bed before taking his hands again. The feeling of his warm hands against mine was like the first day of spring after a brisk winter. His beautiful eyes were like staring into a lively meadow, everything is living and happy. And, the tears that fell from both of our eyes were like a much needed rain on this Arizona desert; unexplainably refreshing.

"There are no words to explain how much you mean to me, Joseph." I began. "Seeing you lying here, alive, after what you went through to make me happy, makes me realize that you truly are my perfect knight." More tears fell from both of our eyes as Joe released one of my hands and brought it to my cheek, gently caressing it with his fingers.

"Boys?" came the doctor's voice as he tapped on the door. I turned in the chair to see him standing in the doorway, silently asking for permission to enter.

"Yes?" I answered, allowing him to walk in the room.

"Are you ready for me to remove that tube, Joseph?" he asked. Joe's eyes went wide and his hand gripped mine. He violently nodded his head, desperate to be free of the tube of silence.

"Alright." the doctor laughed. I took both of Joe's hands as the doctor prepared to remove the tube. I hid my eyes behind our conjoined hands while I listened to the removal.

"Nice work, Joseph." the doctor nodded, as he walked across the room, pouring Joe a glass of water. I released his hands so he could grab the glass when the doctor came back but, he immediately grabbed a hand full of my t-shirt and yanked me into a kiss. He pressed his lips hard into mine and continued to pull me closer. As the shock subsided, I brought a hand to his cheek, running it over the skin and then moved it to tangle in his hair.

"Boys?" the doctor sighed. "Boys, stop." I quickly put my hands over Joe's and pried them from my shirt before pulling from the kiss. Joe gasped from the separation and fell back onto the bed, his eyes shining as he breathed heavily. The doctor just shook his head as he handed the glass of water to Joe, who chugged the entire glass.

"I'm glad to tell you, that you're going to be just fine." the doctor said, taking the glass from Joe.

"Thank you." Joe husked, taking one of my hands from the bed and bringing it to his lips. "Thank you for everything."

"Your welcome." the doctor smiled, before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

Two hours later, after countless questions and final tests, we were lying together on Joe's cot. I was lying on my stomach, one leg draped over Joe's while my head rested in the crook of his shoulder. One of his arms was wrapped around my shoulders while the hand of his other was intertwined with one of mine.

"Nick?" he whispered, tilting his head so it rested atop mine.

"Hmm?" I replied, staring at our conjoined hands.

"You are my sun, Nicholas." he breathed. I shifted next to him and he allowed me to lift my head so I could stare back at him.

"You brighten my day." he smiled, his eyes sparkling.

"Joe," I sighed.

"You are my ocean, filled with deep mysteries. You are my wind, sweeping me off my feet. You are my world, so many things left to discover. You are my love, the only one I want to hold my heart." he whispered, bringing tears to my eyes.

"Joe," I breathed. "I-I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, baby. You've already proven to me that you truly are my angel." he smiled, sending the tears streaming down my cheeks. "But, not only my angel; my guardian angel." he whispered.

"So, let's go back home to New York and start our lives over again. Let's move into a condo on the other side of town, let's raise Tommy together, let's help Sam get back on her feet, let's be better brothers to Kevin, but most importantly," he stopped to take a deep breath. "Let's be together always and forever."

"It's the only way I would ever want to spend the rest of my life." I smiled, leaning in for a soft kiss.

"I love you more than air." we breathed in unison.

_**My Angel is and always will be my One Love. And, my One Love is and will forever be my Victorious Knight. **_

* * *

**The End.  
I can't believe it's over! But, I will be writing more stories that relate to SN and SP.  
'The Reception' is one to look out for! I will begin writing it very soon!**

**How was the final chapter? Reviews mean the WORLD!**

**Love,  
Sleek Blan**


End file.
